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GO.  ILL 


HUMOROUS  sto 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

STEWART  S.  HOWE 

JOURNALISM  CLASS  OF  1928 


STEWART  S.  HOWE  FOUNDATION 


636 

G761 
1896 


I  .H.S. 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

OF   THE 

UNION   STOCKYARDS 


SKETCH-BOOK  OF  FAMILIAR  FACES  AND 
PLACES  AT  THE  YARDS 

NOT  FORGETTING 

Reminiscences  of  the  Yards,  Humorous  and  Otherwise,  Joe  Getler  and 
His  Cats,  the    Hustling   Commission  Men,   the  Widow  of    the 
Deceased,   the  Belle  of  the  Stockyards;    Beside   Valuable 
Hints  to  Farmers  on  Breeding,  Selling,  Shippjng  and 
Conditioning,  and  Veterinary  Recipes;  and  Con- 
cluding with  the  Man  of  "Ups  and  Downs." 

BY    W.  JOS.  GRAND 

ILLUSTRATIONS    FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS    BY    O.   BENSON,   JR. 


THOS.  KNAPP  PTG.  &  BDG.  COMPANY 
341-351  DEARBORN  STREET 
CHICAGO 


Copyright  1896    by 

W.   JOS.    GUAM) 


/ 

6> 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

Frontispiece 1 

The  Union  Stockyards 7 

Reminiscences  of  the  Stockyards 33 

Joe  Getler  and  His  Cats 41 

"Packingtown" 46 

The  Slickest  Confidence  Game  in  Chicago  58 

The  World's  Greatest  Horse  Market , .     61 

Builders  of  the  Horse  Market 77 

Wild  Horse  Harry  and  his  Horse  "Nigger". 92 

America's  Popular  Auctioneer  100 

Mary  the  Apple  Woman 102 

The  High  Priced  Auctioneer  of  America 105 

Dan  McCarthy  and  his  Goats 108 

Dressing  Lamb  and  Mutton  at  the  Stockyards..  ..    100 

"Bill" 115 

Kosher  Killing 118 

Jimmy  Norton  and  his  Dog  "Harry" 121 

Evolution  of  Cattle 125 

Human  Nature  at  the  Cow  Market 128 

Evolution  of  the  Hog 180 

"Old  Sandy". 135 

Inspection 137 

Jack-Knife  Ben 141 

Disposal  of  the  Steer 146 

The  Maltese  Cross 152 

5 


6  CONTENTS 

Page 

Breeding , 154 

Bridle  Bill 167 

Horse  Dealing 1(59 

Willie  the  Telegraph  Messenger 174 

Buying  Horses 177 

Gallagher  and  Brown 185 

Care   and  Conditioning  of  Horses 187 

"The  Duke  of  Somerset" 190 

Selling  Horses  , .   192 

The  Itinerant  Barber  Shop 196 

The  Widow  of  the  Deceased 198 

Sea-Faring  on  Cattle  Boats 214 

Billy  the  Letter  Carrier 217 

Transit  House 219 

The  Belle  of  the  Stockyards 221 

The  Cau-Kush 226 

Commission,  Feed   Charges,  Dockage,  etc 228 

One  Kind  of  Stick-to-ativeness 229 

Daily  Drovers'  Journal 230 

The  Pen-Holders 231 

Champion  Beef  Dresser  of  the  World 233 

Jack,  Pety  and  Paddy 236 

The  Stockyards  Scribes 240 

Gus  the  Ham  Tester 242 

Manufacture  of  Butterine 244 

Cattle  Ranches  and  Ranging 248 

Range  Horses 266 

In  Coach  and  Saddle 271 

Veterinary  Recipes 296 

My  Ups  and  Downs,  With   Good  Advice  to  Fellow 

Men..  310 


THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS: 

THE  GREATEST  LIVE  STOCK  MARKET   IN  THE  WORLD. 

"You  can  get  quicker  action  for  your  money  at  the  Stockyards 
than  in  any  other  place  on  earth.'' — A  Consignor. 

WAY  back  in  1848,  when  the 
population  of  Chicago  was 
less  than  50,000,  when  her 
shipping  and  commercial  in- 
terests were  no  greater  than 
those  of  many  a  little  western 
city  of  to-day  whose  prosper- 
ity is  dependent  upon  the  dys- 
peptic caprices  of  a  statesman 
elected  on  a  silver  or  gold  issue,  when  she  existed  as  the 
country's  metropolis  only  in  the  imagination  of  the 
Utopian  few,  John  B.  Sherman,  now  one  of  the  most 
esteemed  men  in  the  West,  took  a  step  which  went  one 
half  way  toward  making  Chicago  the  magnificent  city 
she  is  to-day.  He  felt  one  of  the  city's  needs,  and  his 
powerful  mind  devised  the  remedy  which  should  turn 
toward  Chicago  the  major  portion  of  the  wealth  of  the 
West.  Chicago  needed  a  live  stock  market,and  John  B. 
Sherman  established  the  Old  Bull's  Head  Stockyards  at 
the  corner  of  Madison  Street  and  Ogden  Avenue,  and  this 

7 


8  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

was  the  initial  move  toward  making  Chicago  what  she 
is  at  present — the  greatest  live  stock  market  in  the 
world. 

Previous  to  the  construction  of  this  stockyard,  cattle 
and  hogs  were  dumped  on  the  sand  hills  and  sold  al- 
so much  per  head — and  the  price  of  cattle  in  those  days 
may  be  estimated  when  a  crippled  hog  sold  for  $75. 
As  business  increased,  Sherman's  far-seeing  mind  again 
grasped  the  situation,  and  he  saw  the  necessity  of  get- 


OLD   SHERMAN  STOCKYARDS. 

ting  nearer  the  city.  The  site  he  selected  for  the 
new  yards  was  at  Cottage  Grove  Avenue  and  Thirtieth 
Street,  and  here  he  started  what  was  known  as  the 
Sherman  Stockyards. 

At  this  time  there  were  made  several  other  Ventures 
of  the  same  kind,  none  of  which,  however,  were  success- 
ful. Among  those  making  these  ventures  were  the  Fort 
Wayne, Illinois  Central  and  Lake  Shore  railroads.  These 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  9 

roads,  backed  by  comparatively  unlimited  capital  and 
spurred  on  by  large  self-interests,  pitted  themselves 
against  a  single  man,  with  little  money  at  his  command, 
and  lost.  John  B.  Sherman,  however,  had  the  better 
capital  of  all;  he  had  almost  the  insight  of  a  seer,  the 
perspicacity  of  a  trained  speculator  and  the  magnetic 
power  over  men  of  a  Napoleon.  A  lesser  man  might 
have  opposed  his  single  strength  to  the  combined  force 
of  the  competitor.  Not  so  John  B.  Sherman.  He  made 
his  interest  the  interest  of  the  opposition,  he  exercised 
his  ingenuity  to  make  all  their  interests  mutual,  and 
within  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time,  in  1865, 
his  opponents  had  become  his  partners,  a  partnership 
which,  with  Sherman  always  at  the  helm,  has  resulted 
in  a  prosperity  beyond  which  the  most  sanguine  expec- 
tations of  the  stockyard  company  or  the  interested  citi- 
zens of  Chicago  could  not  aspire.  The  company  in- 
corporated with  a  capital  of  $10,000,000,  which  has 
since  been  nearly  trebled,  as  the  Union  Stockyards  and 
Transit  Company. 

The  site  of  the  stockyards  had  been  again  changed, 
this  time  to  a  quarter  of  a  section  of  land  bound  by  For- 
tieth and  Forty-Seventh  Streets  on  the  north  and  south, 
and  by  Halsted  Street  and  Center  Avenue  on  the  east 
and  west.  In  those  early  days  this  yard  was  far  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  city,  being  sufficiently  isolated  to 
satisfy  even  Chicagoans  that  it  was  at  a  proper  sanitary 
distance.  Its  site  was  a  reedy  swamp,  upon  the  un- 
measured front  feet  of  which  no  real  estate  dealer  had 
yet  cast  a  covetous  eye.  Old  Nathaniel  Hart  still  re- 
members and  talks  of  the  laying  of  the  first  plank 


10 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


which  converted  the  bog  into  a  teeming  mart,  and  ex- 
changed the  croaking  of  bullfrogs  for  the  grunting  of 
swine  and  the  chirping  of  reed  birds  for  the  voices  of 
men.  Chicago  grew,  however,  and  one  morning  John 
B.  Sherman  awoke  to  find  his  cattle  market  midway 
between  the  city  hall  and  the  city  limits,  and  his  awak- 
ening was  disturbed  only  by  the  complaints  of  near-by 
residents  against  the  odors  of  cattle,and  the  excoriations 
of  sanitary  committees.  Hard  work  and  bliss  is  not 


THE  GATEWAY  TO  THE  STOCKYARDS. 

all  which  attends  the  progress  of  the  founder  of  a  new 
industry;  he  must  take  a  share  of  the  world's  fault- 
finding also. 

At  their  first  construction  the  stockyards  covered  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  with  two  thousand  cattle 
pens,  whereas  today,  thirty-one  years  later,  three  hun- 
dred and  fort}7  acres  covered  with  five  thousand  pens, 


OF  THE    UNION  BTOCKYARDS 


11 


stables,  railroad  stations,  unloading  platforms,  a  splen- 
did horse  pavilion  and  a  magnificent  hotel  are  included 
within  the  grounds  of  the  stockyards.  Taking  in  "Pack- 
ingtown,"  which  is,  indeed,  the  stockyards  proper,  the 
area  of  the  yard  would  be  increased  to  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres  and  extend  to  Ashland  Avenue,  a  territory 
large  enough  to  furnish  the  site  for  a  prosperous  city. 
And,  indeed,  the  population  of  a  goodly  city  is  con- 


A   FULL  PEN. 

tained  within  the  boundaries  of  the  yards,  the  various 
branches  of  the  stock  market  and  packing-house  indus- 
try providing  occupation  for  an  army  of  employes, 
men,  women  and  children,  to  the  number  of  40,000 — a 
population  almost  as  large  as  that  of  the  whole  of  Chi- 


12 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


cago  at  the  time  when  John  B.  Sherman  constructed 
the  first  stockyards  over  on  the  West  Side  This  is 
within  the  yards;  outside  of  the  stockyards  palings  is 
one  of  the  busiest,  although  by  no  means  one  of  the 
most  aristocratic,  portions  of  Chicago.  Rows  of  dwell- 
ings, hotels,  liveries,  blacksmitheries,  furniture  stores, 
groceries,  meat  markets,  and  last,  but  never  least,  sa- 
loons, cluster  thickly  on  the  outskirts  of  the  yards,  the 


SHEEP  FOR  OUTSIDE  SLAUGHTER  HOUSES. 

din  of  activity  from  city  and  yards  rising  from  early 
dawn  till  far  into  the  night,  and  uniting  in  sounds  of 
enterprise  which  are  the  business  man's  anthem. 

How  few  people  of  the  city  know  that  the  stockyards 
have  done  more  to  make  Chicago  the  metropolis  of  the 
West  and  her  name  a  synonym  for  almost  preternatural 
rapidity  of  growth  than  any  other  industry  1  How  many 
know  that  of  Chicago's  nearly  2,000,000  people  one- 
fourth  derive  support,  directly  or  indirectly,  from  the 
stockyards?  How  few  have  ever  realized  the  amount  of 


OF  THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS 


13 


eastern,  western  and  European  capital  invested  in  Chi- 
cago on  the  strength  of  the  influence  of  the  stockyards 
alone!  The  food  products  sent  out  from  the  stockyards 
supply  nourishment  to  the  entire  world.  Should  this 
great  industry  be  suddenly  stopped  for  a  period  of  six 
months  the  armies  of  Europe  would  be  deprived  of  ani- 
mal food  almost  to  the  point  of  a  meat  famine;  and 
should  it  be  suddenly  annihilated  there  would  be  a  revo- 
lution in  the  live  stock  shipping  trade. 


BEEF    FOR    JOHNNY    BULL. 

During  every  one  of  the  three  hundred  and  sixty-five 
days  in  the  year,  except  Sundays,  there  are  here  offered 
up  in  sanguinary  sacrifice  to  the  necessities  of  man 
15,000  hogs,  5,000  cattle,  and  5,000  sheep,  not  consid- 
ering the  highest  record  for  one  day,  which  reads: 
Hogs,  42,000;  cattle,  10,000;  sheep,  12,000. 

All  the  great  railroads  of  the  East,  West,  North  and 
South  are  centralized  here  by  means  of  the  stockyards 


14 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


belt  line,  and  every  railroad  in  Chicago  is  connected 
with  the  Union  Stockyards  system.  The  tracks  owned 
and  controlled  by  the  Union  Stockyards  and  Transit 
Company  are  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  in  length, 
including  main  lines',  siding  and  storage  tracks,  and 
were  constructed  in  every  particular  to  expressly  facili- 
tate the  company's  business.  Unloading  platforms  are 
assigned  each  railroad  and  are  so  constructed  that  en- 
tire trains  can  be  unloaded  at  once  as  quickly  as  a  sin- 


RAILWAY  STATION. 

gle  car.  A  passenger  station,  well  equipped  and  modern 
in  all  its  appointments,  practically  enables  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  district  to  step  from  their  doors  to  ele- 
gant Pullman  cars  going  to  every  part  of  the  country. 
The  stockyards  and  the  Chicago  River  are  connected 
by  means  of  a  canal,  the  frontage  of  which  is  lined  with 
docks  which  are  increasing  in  number  every  year. 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  15 

About  fifty  miles  of  streets  and  alleys  connect  the 
pens  with  the  loading  and  unloading  chutes  of  the 
railroads,  50,000  cattle,  200,000  hogs,  30,000  sheep  and 
5,000  horses  being  thus  easily  handled  and  accommo- 
dated at  one  time  now, whereas  to  handle  from  1,500  to 
3,000  animals  forty  years  ago  seemed  a  herculean  task. 
Viaducts,  which  are  in  strength  if  not  in  beauty  fine 
examples  of  the  builder's  skill, have  been  erected,  lead- 
ing to  all  the  packing-houses  to  facilitate  the  transfer 
of  stock  from  one  point  to  another.  A  system  of  un- 
derground drainage  has  been  gradually  brought  to  a 
high  state  of  perfection,  the  consequent  sanitary  con- 
dition of  the  yards  insuring  the  health  of  the  stock; 
and  making  every  one  familiar  with  the  stockyards 
skeptical  of  the  justice  of  Germany's  complaints  that 
American  meat  is  diseased.  An  eleotric  light  plant 
floods  the  yards  at  night  with  a  brilliant  white  light 
which  makes  it  quite  as  possible  to  transact  business 
at  midnight  as  at  high  noon.  Six  artesian  wells,  aver- 
aging 1,300  feet  in  depth  and  aggregating  in  capacity 
600,000  gallons  daily,  provide  the  stock  with  an  abun- 
dance of  the  very  purest  of  water,  its  crystal  clear- 
ness as  it  runs  into  the  many  drinking  fountains  being  a 
marked  contrast  to  the  dull  and  murky  water  consumed 
by  the  human  beings  of  the  city. 

The  expense  of  maintaining  this  colossus  among  stock 
markets  amounts  to  from  $2,000,000  to  $3,500,000  an- 
ually,  while  the  cost  of  establishing  it  is  a  mystery  of 
uncounted  millions.  The  yards  were  purchased  about 
four  years  ago  by  the  present  company,  which  in- 
cludes an  English  syndicate,  for  $23,000,000.  The  capi- 
tal is  $25,000,000. 


THE  UNION  .STOCKYARDS 


17 


As  a  live  stock  market  Chicago  has  no  rival  and  no 
competitor.  Chicago  sets  the  values  and  quotations  for 
every  other  market  in  existence,  and  the  man  who 
ships  live  stock  to  Chicago  as  a  rule  has  it  sold  at  its 
true  value  and  has  the  proceeds  in  his  pocket  at  the 
time  of  day  when  the  buyers  and  sellers  at  all  the  other 
markets  in  the  world  are  whittling  sticks,  waiting  for 
the  wire  from  Chicago  which  shall  apprise  them  of 


MESSENGER   AND  MAIL-CARRIER  AT  THE  YARDS. 

Chicago's  quotations.  Here  is  a  sample  of  the  slip  of 
yellow  paper  by  means  of  which  Chicago  daily  sets  the 
price  of  beef,  pork  and  mutton  in  every  country  in 
both  hemispheres: 


18 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


r«n»  Ho.  • 

THE  WESTERN  UNION  TELEGRAPH  COMPANY. 

INCORPORATED •- 

31,000  OFFICES  IN  AMERICA.          CABLE  SERVICE  TO  fC^THE  WORLD. 


c, 


SEND  the  following  nie>M«e  •uBJeet  to  the  tetm» 
en  b«ck  hereof,  v»hloh,*re  hereby  •greed  to. 


&O    ^189/ 
//-  6 


No  other  market  on  the  globe  has  the  facilities  to  re- 
ceive, care  for  and  handle  such  vast  numbers  of  stock 
as  are  received  here.  The  total  receipts* of  stock  for 
1895  were:  Cattle,  2,588,558;  calves,  168,740;  hogs, 
7,885,283;  sheep,  3,406,739;  horses,  118,193.  The  total 
shipments  during  the  same  period  were:  Cattle,  785,092; 
calves,  9,882;  hogs,  2,100,613;  sheep,  474,646;  horses, 
109,146.  During  the  past  thirty  years,  from  1865  to 
1895,  the  total  receipts  were:  Cattle,  49,214,668;  calves, 
1,669,422;  hogs,  152,779,500;  sheep,  30, 080, 121; horses, 
988,813.  Tha  shipments  for  the  same  period  were: 
Cattle,  22,160,264;  calves,  891,319;  hogs,  49,895,872; 
sheep,  8,942,161;  horses,  909,503. 

The  largest  receipts  in  one  year  were: 

Cattle  (1892),  3,571,793;  calves  (1898),  210,557;  hogs 


OF  THE  UNION  8TOCKYAEDS 


19 


(1891),  8, 600, 805;  sheep  (1895),  3,406,739;  horses  (1895), 

113,193;  cars  (1890),  311,557. 

The  largest  receipts  of  stock  in  one  month  were: 
Cattle,    385,466;    calves,     81,398;    hogs,    1,111,997; 

sheep,  893,820;  horses,  16,791;  cars,  81,910. 
The  largest  receipts  of  stock  in  one  week  were: 
Cattle,  95,524;  calves,    8,479;  hogs,  300,488;  sheep, 

98,163;  horses,  4,369;  cars,  8,457. 


SHIPPING  CATTLE. 

The  largest  receipts  of  stock  in  one  day  were: 
Cattle,  82,677;  calves,    3,089;  hogs,    74,551;    sheep, 
31,334;  horses,   1,481;  cars,  3,864. 

The  owners  of  these  great  droves  of  cattle  are  put  to 
no  trouble  of  handling  from  the  moment  the  stock  ar- 
rives at  tho  yards.  From  that  time  until  it  is  sold  and 
transferred  to  the  new  owner  the  stockyards  employes 
feed,  water,  yard,  handle  and  in  every  particular  care 


20 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


for  it.  The  charge  for  this  service  is :  Yardage  for  cattle, 
twenty-five  cents  per  head  ;  horses,  twenty-five  cents  per 
head;  hogs,  eight  cents  per  head;  sheep,  five  cents  per 
head;  calves,  fifteen  cents  per  head;  feed — timothy 
hay,  $1.50  per  hundredweight;  prairie  hay,  $1.00  per 
hundredweight;  corn,  $1.00  per  bushel.  One  yardage 
charge  covers  the  entire  time  the  stock  remains  in  the 


REMOVING  A  CRIPPLE. 

yards,  whether  it  be  one  day  or  one  month.     The  feed 
used  is  of  the  best  quality. 

From  these  sources  are  derived  all  the  revenues  neces- 
sary to  cover  all  the  expenses  of  the  stockyards.  While 
these  revenues  may  be  immense,  the  expenditures  main- 
tain a  just  proportion  thereto,  as  will  be  seen  when  it 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


21 


is  said  that  these  expenditures  include  the  cost  of  con- 
struction, feed,  bedding,  weighing,  fuel,  gas,  electric 
light,  lost  stock,  salaries  of  1,500  employes,  attorneys' 
fees,  taxes,  insurance,  stationery,  salaries  of  officers, 
cost  of  maintaining  the  police  and  fire  departments, 
and  interest  on  bonds  and  capital  invested,  all  of  which 


WEIGHING  CATTLE. 

expenses   are  incurred  strictly  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  market 

The  greatest  harmony  of  feeling  prevails  among  all 
the  stock  agents  of  the  West  and  Southwest,  all  of 
whom  make  it  their  interest  to  induce  the  shipping  of 
live  stock  to  this  market,  and  every  legitimate  means 
is  taken  to  keep  the  advantages  of  the  Chicago  market 


22  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

before  the  minds  of  the  distant  live  stock  shippers, 
not  the  least  of  which  is  that  the  lesser  pro  rata  in 
billing  here  considerably  enhances  the  value  of  stock. 
There  are  in  daily  attendance  at  the  stockyards  about 
one  hundred  foreign  buyers  from  England,  Scotland, 
Germany,  France,  Belgium,  and  nearly  every  other 
important  country  on  the  globe.  In  addition  to  these 


CLOSING  A    SALE. 

there  are  buyers  from  the  East  and  also  from  the  large 
packing-houses  of  the  yards,  the  latter  selecting  the 
cattle  which  again  appear  in  public  as  corned  beef, 
minced  tongue,  deviled  ham,  and  the  like. 

The  presence  of  all  these  buyers  from  Europe,  from 
the  East,  from  the  packing-houses  and  from  the 
large  feeding  farms  insures  a  quick  disposition  of  all 
stock.  As  a  consignor  remarked  the  other  day,  "You  can 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  23 

get  quicker  action  at  the  stockyards  for  your  money  than 
in  any  other  place  on  earth."  This  fact,  coupled 
with  the  equally  important  one  that  this  is  a  strictly 
cash  market,  renders  the  Union  Stockyards  the  most 
desirable  as  wall  as  the  model  market  of  the  world. 
From  an  artist's  point  of  view,  it  does  even  more  than 
that,  for  the  presence  of  these  buyers,  so  diversified  in 


FOREIGN  BUYERS. 

habit,  language,  manner  and  appearance,  lends  the  in- 
terest of  variety  to  a  scene  which  is  already  picturesquely 
interesting.  In  fact,  while  there  is  nothing  beautiful 
about  the  yards,  they  are  one  of  the  best  places  in  the 
world  to  study  human  nature. 


24 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


There  are  also  in  daily  evidence  at  the  yards  as  many 
as  two  hundred  cattle  and  horse  commission  'men. 
What  they  add  to  the  life  of  the  place  may  be  imag- 
ined when  it  is  said  that  they  have  among  them  about 
3,500  employes — salesmen,  stenographers,  typewritists, 
book-keepers,  accountants,  messengers,  etc.  This  body 
of  men  is  best  described  by  the  term  unique;  they  are 


TYPEWRITISTS  GOING  TO  LUNCH. 

an  aggregation  apart,  one  which  embodies  the  quintes- 
sence of  business  success — push — a  fraternity  of  ener- 
getic spirits  of  which  any  city  might  be  proud,  and 
which  is  a  credit  to  any  country.  They  are  hustlers 
from  the  drop  of  the  hat,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning 
"off  to  Guttenberg,"  and  seven  at  the  latest  finds  them 
abroad,  not  indeed  seeking  whom  they  may  devour,  for 
they  are  a  straight  set,  but  out  for  business,  fresh  and 
festive  as  the  day  itself,  ready  to  give  and  take  in  hon- 
orable interchange. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  25 

From  early  morning  until  four  in  the  afternoon  the 
combined  braina  of  the  commission  men  are  at  their 
highest  tension,  and  he  who  runs  may  see  the  play  of 
just  such  metal  as  lias  made  this  city  a  metropolis  and 
this  country  a  great  nation.  Untold  millions  are 
handled  by  these  men  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and  every 
dollar  disposed  with  such  honor,  exactness,  punctuality, 


HUSTLING  COMMISSCON  MEN  OUT  AT  7  A.    M. 

and  dispatch  as  would  be  hard  to  match,  and  which 
might  with  advantage  replace  the  slower  methods  of 
much  downtown  business.  A  more  honorable,  industri- 
ous, conscientious,  upright  and  big-hearted  lot  of  men 
is  not  gathered  together  elsewhere  in  any  one  place 
on  earth.  A  failure  has  never  been  known  among  them, 
although  they  take  great  chances  in  making  advances. 


26 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


Many  of  these  commission  merchants  are  at  home  in 
some  of  the  handsomest  residences  of  Chicago,  the 
stone  fronts  which  face  the  incoming  steamers  of  the 
Great  Lakes.  Nevertheless  they  are  to  be  found  at  their 
places  of  business  day  in  and  day  out,  ''hustling"  with 
as  much  earnestness  as  their  salesmen  to  advance  the 
interests  of  their  consignors.  Their  consignors  are  the 


COMMISSION  MEN  ON  FOOT  AND  IN  THE  SADDLE. 

farmers,  breeders  and  stock  raisers  throughout  the 
country,  and  it  is  but  fair  to  these  unimpeachable  and 
enterprising  brokers  to  say  that  they  have  the  un- 
bounded confidence  of  their  out-of-town  constituency. 
The  brokers  may  be  seen  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and 
in  all  kinds  of  weather  on  foot  or  in  the  saddle,  as  the 
occasion  demands,  attending  to  affairs  and  transacting 
an  enormous  business.  They  are  a  living  application 
of  that  law  of  God,  expressed  in  a  nutshell  in  the  vul- 
gar saying,  "The  early  bird  catches  the  worm,"  and 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


27 


which,   elucidated  for  the  benefit  of  finer  intellects, 
simply  means  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

There  is  no  scandal  or  gossip  in  these  men's  air;  they 
are  too  busy  for  pettiness,  and  business  and  genuine 
high-mindedness  combine  to  hold  them  superior  to 
vulgarity.  Their  words  go  between  each  other  for  thou- 
sands of  dollars,  and  a  sale  running  into  four,  five  and 


"WE'LL  MAKE  IT  4f. "     "CLOSED." 

six  figures  takes  place  on  the  shake  of  hands  They  are 
a  band  of  brothers  whose  pocketbooks  are  ever  open  to 
the  deserving  needy,  and  the  cause  of  worthy  charity 
wins  from  them  a  willing  ear.  Not  long  ago  $580  was 
subscribed  by  them  within  two  or  three  hours  for  an 
unfortunate  man  who  had  met  with  an  accident,  and 
such  ready  generosity  is  no  uncommon  incident. 
These  are  men  who  can  not  be  judged  by  their  clothes, 


28 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


for  with  them  finery  is  a  secondary  consideration  to 
utility,  but  a  brighter,  brainier,  jollier,  more  hail-fel- 
low-well-met or  more  truly  gentlemanly  lot  of  men 
cannot  be  found  in  a  Jong  day's  search.  One  ad- 
ditional fact  greatly  to  their  credit  is  their  punctil- 


AN  ARM  OF  THE  LAW  AT  THE  YARDS. 

iousness  in  keeping  their  promises,  engagements  and 
appointments  to  the  very  letter  and  minute.  Indeed, 
it  would  be  no  had  move  if  the  South  Water  Street 
commission  contingent  should  be  removed  to  the  yards 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  29 

for  lessons  in  integrity,  as  thare  have  been  rumors  of 
"doing  and  come"  in  the  business  atmosphere  there  pre- 
vailing. There  is  plenty  of  room  on  Halsted  Street 
from  Forty-second  to  Forty-seventh  Street,  and  the 
increased  facility  of  access  to  the  fruit  and  vegetable 
markets  for  a  greater  number  of  people  would  make 
the  new  location  the  great  central  market  for  these 
supplies.  In  short,  the  live  stock  commissioners,  who 
have  done  much  to  make  the  stockyards  the  unique  spot 
that  it  is — a  teeming  center  of  honorable  business  ac- 
tivity— should  have  warm  places  in  the  esteem  of  all 
their  fellow  townsmen 

An  association  formed  by  these  hustling  commission 
men,  the  twelve  horse  commission  menexcepted,  is  the 
National  Live  Stock  Exchange.  The  object  of  the  Ex- 
change is  the  promotion  and  development  of  the  live 
stock  industry  in  all  its  branches,  and  the  protection 
of  the  interests  involved  It  is  in  every  sense  a  volun- 
tary association,  and  was  organized  in  1885  by  that 
popular  and  sagacious  gentleman,  C.  W.  Baker. 
Branches  of  the  Exchange  have  been  established  in  St. 
Louis,  Kansas  City,  Fort  Worth,  Sioux  City  and 
Omaha — Chicago,  of  course,  being  the  headquarters. 

The  officers  are: 

President,  W.  H.  Thompson,  Jr.,  Chicago;  Vice-pres- 
idents, J.  G.  Martin,  South  Omaha;  J.  H.  Nason, 
Sioux  City;  Don  McN.  Palmer,  St.  Louis;  W.  B. 
Stickney,  East  St.  Louis;  John  N.  Payne,  Kansas 
City;  W.  E.  Skinner,  Fort  Worth;  Secretary,  Charles 
W.  Baker,  Chicago;  Treasurer,  Levi  B.  Doud,  Chicago; 
Executive  Committee,  C.  A.Mallory,  Irus  Coy,  Chicago; 


30 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


J.  A.  Hake,  D.  L.  Campbell,  South  Omaha;  H.  I). 
Pierce, W.  M.  Ward,  Sioux  City;  W.  H.  Mines,  Charles 
James,  St.  Louis;  E.  B.  Overstreet,  C.  M.  Keyes,  East 
St.  Louis;  C.  G.  Bridgeford,  J.  C  McCoy,  Kansas 
City;  G  W.  Simpson,  C.  W.  Simpson,  Fort  Worth. 

In  the  center  of  the  Union  Stockyards  is  situated  the 
PJxchange  Building,  where  are  the  handsome  quarters 
of  the  officers  of  the  company.  Every  day  in  the  week 


VISITORS  AT  THE  PACKING-HOUSES. 

there  may  be  seen  in  these  quarters  at  least  a  few  of  the 
officers,  but  should  a  visitor  be  fortunate  enough  to  see 
the  entire  personnel  of  the  executive  staff  together  he 
will  see  the  representatives  of  the  best  brain,  energy 
and  enterprise  in  Chicago  and  in  the  West.  The  officers 
are:  N.  Thayer,  President;  John  B.  Sherman,  Vice- 
President,  and  General  Manager;  E.  J.  Martyn,  Second 


32  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Vice- President;  J.  C.  Denison,  Secretary  and  Treasurer; 
Walter  Doughty,  Assistant  Secretary  and  Treasurer; 
James  H.  Ashby,  General  Superintendent;  D.  G. 
Gray,  Assistant  Superintendent;  Richard  Fitzgerald, 
Superintendent  of  Transit  Department.  Among  these 
men  J.  C.  Denison  stands  prominent  as  an  indefati- 
gable worker  in  behalf  of  the  Union  Stockyards.  He  is 
one  of  those  rare  men  who  combine  splendid  executive 
ability  with  never  varying  kindness  and  courtesy, the  two 
last  qualities  tending  to  make  him  as  popular  socially 
as  the  former  makes  him  highly  esteemed  in  business 
circles.  The  Stockyards  Company  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  having  associated  with  it  a  man  of  Mr.  Denison's 
uncommon  gifts. 

In  the  Exchange  Building  are  also  located  the  offices 
of  the  two  hundred  commission  firms,  the  telegraph 
office,  the  telephone  station,  which  connects  the  yards 
with  every  part  of  the  city  and  with  all  the  neighbor- 
ing towns,  and  a  restaurant  where  hundreds  of  stock- 
men are  fed  daily. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  STOCKYARDS. 


0  THE  man  who  has  grown 
old  with  the  stockyards  every 
old  stone  and  wall  is  eloquent 
with  stories  of  the  past,  sto- 
ries pathetic,  fanny, sublime, 
and  every  streak  of  new  paint 
and  shining  new  rail  is  bright 
with  promise  of  future  great- 
ness. To  corner  such  a  man 
and  unlock  his  memory  with  a  question  or  two  for  a  key 
is  to  hear  much  of  the  unwritten  history  of  the  yards.  He 
has  reminiscences  for  you  by  the  yard,  anecdotes  of 
millionaires  when  they  were  not  millionaires  by  the 
ream,  and  jokes  on  great  stockmen  known  to  both  con- 
tinents by  the  volume — reams  and  volumes  of  copy 
which  have  never  been  written,  however. 

Wilts  Keenan,  one  of  the  old-time  commissioners, 
tells  many  stories  of  "auld  lang  syne"  at  the  yards. 
"  In  looking  around  the  great  Union  Stockyards  of  to- 
day,"  he  said  recently,  "I  still  see  faces  which  are 
familiar  to  me,  faces  of  men  whom  I  knew  thirty  years 
ago  at  the  old  Sherman  or  Lake  Shore  Stockyards,  as  it 
was  called,  when  1,500  cattle  and  3, 000  hogs  were  heavy 
receipts  for  a  day,  while  83,000  cattle,  75,000  hogs, 
40,000  sheep,  and  1,400  horses  in  one  day  now  don't 
seem  to  stop  the  current  of  trade.  I  see  John  B.  Sher- 

33 


84  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

man  of  forty  years  ago  still  at  the  head  of  the  greatest 
stockyards  in  the  world.  He  still  keeps  up  the  old  way 
of  doing  business — energetic,  reliable,  self-reliant, 
sociable,  accommodating,  a  good  friend  to  the  farmer 
and  feeder,  combining  all  the  qualities  of  the  eminent 
self-made  man  that  he  is.  He  has  been  prosperous  in 
love,  I  see,  as  well  as  in  trade,  for  he  was  recently  mar- 
ried, and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  he  will  live  many  years 
longer. 

"Then  we  have  George  T.  Williams,  now  resigned, 
who  thirty  odd  years  ago  was  clerk  at  the  old  Sherman 
yards.  He  has  been  prosperous,  too,  and  while  not 
enjoying  the  best  of  health,  bids  fair  to  yet  stand  the 
storms  of  many  winters.  Another  familiar  face  never 
to  be  forgotten  by  old-timers  is  Steven  Roath,  familiarly 
known  as'  Stevey.'  Who  does  not  recollect  Stevey  when 
he  was  agent  for  the  Michigan  Central?  Many  a  cold 
night  has  Stevey  staid  up  to  let  in  the  boys  from  their 
rambles,  all  for  the  fun  of  the  thing.  Steven  Roath  is 
now  a  millionaire,  and  might  be  a  man  of  leisure,  but 
he  has  the  true  spirit  of  a  jack-of-all-trades  and  still 
potters  around  the  yards  to  be  near  his  old  associates. 
Although  read}'  and  willing  if  asked,  he  still  lingers 
along  in  single  blessedness. 

Of  the  old  cattle  and  hog  buyers  of  thirty  years  ago  at 
the  Sherman  Yards  but  few  are  left,  although  I  still  see 
some  old-timers,  a  few  of  whom  are  millionaires.  They 
are  still  active  and  full  of  business  as  ever.going  through 
their  daily  routine,  chatting  with  the  new  generation  of 
shippers  that  swarm  round  the  great  market.  There  is 
Morris,  or  "Little  Nels"  we  used  to  call  him  in  the  davs 


35 


when  he  bought  crippled  cattle  and  hogs  at  the  Sherman 
yards.  Nelson  Morris  is  to-day  one  of  the 'big  four, ' 
a  self-made  man  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  and  one 
who  deserves  the  millions  he  has  worked  hard  for. 
'Little  Nels'  was  always  big  hearted  and  Nelson  Mor- 
ris is  no  less  so,  being  one  o'f  the  best  philanthropists 
of  Chicago.  And  that  same  generosity,  by  the  way, 


AN  OLD  TIMER. 


has  given  us  a  good  deal  of  fun  at  his  expense.  Morris 
once  wanted  to  help  a  customer  with  the  loan  of  a 
horse,  and  gave  him  an  order  to  his  stable  foreman, 
which  read,  'Please  give  bearer  a  horse.'  Just  for  the 
fun  of  it  the  foreman  gave  the  man  Morris'  best  driving 
horse,  and  within  half  an  hour  the  horse  was  learned  to 
have  been  sold,  and  the  customer  had  disappeared  with 


36  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

the  proceeds.  We  remind  Morris  of  that  once  in  a 
while.  No  man  has  ever  been  so  much  up  to  the  cattle 
trade  of  the  country  as  Nelson  Morris.  He  is  one  of 
the  few  millionaires  of  the  trade.  Among  the  industries 
of  which  he  is  the  founder  is  a  large  canning  establish- 
ment, besides  which  he  ships  beef  in  the  carcass  to  every 
port  on  the  seaboard.  I  hope  he  wiU  live  long  to  enjoy 
the  prosperity  he  has  accumulated  by  his  own  industry. 

"Samuel  W.  Allerton,  or  Sammy,as  he  was  familiarly 
known,  is  another  of  the  old  boys.  He  has  left  the  cat- 
tle business,  however,  for  railroading,  banking  and  the 
Board  of  Trade.  He  was  a  feeder  in  the  old  days,  being 
largely  interested  in  range  cattle,  and  so  when  we  didn't 
call  him  Sammy  it  was 'Farmer  Allerton.'  Still  an- 
other old-timer  is  John  Brennock,  who  has  had  the  con- 
tract for  the  dead  cattle  for  many  years.  A  standing 
joke  we  have  on  him  is  that  he  used  to  mark  his 
dead  hogs  with  a  hole  in  the  ear,  and  after  he  had 
punched  the  hole  some  of  the  boys  would  come  along 
and  cut  off  the  hog's  ear,  and  th-ni  watch  John  try  to 
identify  his  hogs.  That  made  John  mad  as  a  hornet. 

"One  of  the  most  comical  characters  we  ever  had  in 
the  yards  was  Uncle  Billy  Moore,  who  died  some  time 
ago,  who  was  also  one  of  the  most  courteous  of  men. 
Some  of  Billy's  capers  are  still  remembered  as  jokes  in 
the  yards  One  of  the  best  remembered  of  these  is  how 
he  'did'  an  old  fellow  who  came  to  the  yards  with  some 
cattle  to  be  killed.  Two  or  three  of  the  boys  offered  to 
do  it  for  $2.00.  Uncle  Billy,  who  had  been  on  the  old 
fellow's  trail,  skipped  up  and  said,  'Au,  mon,  I'll  nae 
charge  ye  mooch;  I'll  do  it  for  the  hide  and  fat,'  and 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


37 


he  got  the  job.  Another  time  a  man  came  in  with 
a  drove  of  cattle,  for  which  Billy  offered  him  $5.  'I 
can't  do  it,.'  answered  the  man,  'I  paid  that  much 
at  home  for  them. '  'Well,'  said  Billy,  'I  don't  want 
you  to  lose  money  on  them;  I'll  make  it  $5.05.'  Among 
the  smoothest  of  Uncle  Billy's  bargains  was  one  with  a 
Missourian,  who  was  at  the  yards  one  day  and  talked 


REMOVING   DEAD  HOGS. 

considerably  of  some  steers  he  owned.  'Well,'  said 
Billy,  after  listening  with  interest,  'you  go  home  and 
give  those  steers  all  they  can  eat,  get  them  in  good  con- 
dition and  ship  them  on  hereto  Keenan,  and  if  they're 
worth  the  money  I'll  buy  them.'  However,  the  story 
I  always  like  best  about  Uncle  Billy  is  one  which  illus- 
trates his  oourtesy  as  well  as  his  wit.  He  was  walking 


38 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


through  a  drove  of  hogs  one  morning  when  a  black  sow 
ran  between  his  legs  and  knocked  him  over.  Billy  got 
up,  brushing  himself  as  he  straightened  up,  and  taking 
off  his  hat  he  humbly  apologized  to  the  sow. 

"But  we  had  something  beside  jokes  at  the  yards  once 
in  a  while.  Sometimes  we  would  have  some  genuine 
sport,  particularly  on  Saturday  afternoons,  when  the 


SATURDAY   AFTERNOON. 


boys  would  get  up  bull -fights.  A  pen  would  be  used  for 
a  ring  and  the  best  bulls  in  the  yards  would  be  turned 
into  this  arena,  the  boys  standing  around  and  betting 
their  thousands  on  the  combats.  Talk  about  betting 
on  the  derby  1  It  wasn't  in  it  with  betting  on  impromptu 
bullfights  I"  and  Wilts  Keenan  rubbed  his  hands  to- 
gether in  gleeful  appreciation  at  the  recollection  of 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  39 

staking  "thousands"  on  a  bull  which  gored  to  death 
an  imaginary  toreador. 

A  history  of  the  Union  Stockyards  would  not  be  com- 
plete without  a  mention  of  the  rules  which  govern  daily 
conduct  in  the  different  offices  at  the  yards.  They 
were  formulated  to  meet  the  idiosyncrasies  of  everyday 
conduct,  and,  therefore,  it  must  not  be  imagined  that 
they  are  the  effort  of  a  wit  or  satirist.  Here  they  are: 

OFFICE    RULES. 

1.  Gentlemen  upon  entering    will  forget  to   scrape 
the  mud  off  their  boots;  also  leave  the  door  wide  open, 
or  apologize. 

2.  Those  having  no  business  should  remain  all  day, 
bring  their  lunch  along,  take  a  chair  and  lean  it  against 
the  wall,  as  it  will  preserve  it  and  may  prevent  it  from 
falling  on  us. 

3.  Gentlemen  are    requested  to  smoke,    especially 
during  office  hours;  tobacco  and  cigars  will  be  supplied 

4.  Talk  loud  and  whistle,  particularly  when  we  are 
engaged;  if  this  has  not  the  desired  effect,  sing  a  comic 
song. 

5.  If  we  are  in  business  conversation  with  any  one, 
you  are  not  to  wait  until  we  are  done,   but  chip  in  a 
bit,  as  we  are  particularly  fond  of  talking  to  half  a 
dozen  or  more  at  a  time. 

6  Profane  language  is  expected  at  all  times,  espe- 
cially if  lady  customers  are  present. 

7.  Put  your  feet  on  the  tables,  but  don't  forget  to 
pull  off  your  boots,  or  lean  against  the  desk;  it  will  be 
a  great  assistance  to  those  who  are  waiting. 


40  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

8.  Persons  having  no  business  at  this  office  will  call 
often,  or  excuse  themselves. 

9.  Should  you  need  the  loan  of  any  money,  do   not 
hesitate  to  ask  for  it,  as  we  do  not  require  it  for  busi- 
ness purposes,  but  merely  for  the  sake  of  loaning. 

10.  Our  hours  for  listening  to  solicitors  for  benevo- 
lent  purposes   are   from    11  A.   M    to    1  P.    M.  ;    book 
agents,  1  to  3  P.  M.  ;  beggars  and  peddlers  all  day. 


GOING  TO  THEIR  LAST  HOME. 

The  latest  funny  story  to  go  the  rounds  at  the  yards 
is  this: 

A  man  named  McGee  was  killed  in  a  packing-house 
last  year,  and  a  comrade  was  sent  to  his  house  to  break 
the  news  to  the  widow, and  let  her  down  easy.  Approach 
ing  the  house,  he  espied  her  at  the  window.  "Are  you 
the  widow  McGee?"  he  asked.  "No,  I  am  not,"  said 
she;  "I  am  Mrs.  M  .1.  McGee."  "You're  a  liar,  you're 
not,"  was  the  retort;  "McGee's  corpse  ia  just  coming 
around  the  corner!" 


JOE  GETLER  AND  HIS  CATS. 

A  PERSONAGE  of  great  importance  at  the  stockyards, 
and  without  an  account  of  whom  no  history  of  the 
place  would  be  complete,  is  Smut,  the  enormous  tor- 


USMUT"  READY  TO  RETRIEVE. 

toise-shell  cat,  dear  to  the  heart  of  Joe  Getler,   the 
good-looking  bachelor  who  looks  after  the  interests  of 

the  Wabash  Railway  at  the  shipping  pens. 

41 


42 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


Joe  is  "great"  on  cats  and  has  invested  heavily  in  the 
breeding  business,  and  says,  in  his  good-natured  way, 
"Yes,  there's  money  in  cats."  Smut  is  an  immense 
creature,  of  great  dignity  of  presence  and  haughty  de- 
meanor, as  becomes  a  prime  favorite  and  the  forebear 


RETRIEVED. 


of  a  long  line  of  honorable  descendants.  She  is  a  regular 
breeder,  presenting  her  owner  with  a  new  family  about 
every  three  months,  having  seldom  leas  than  nine  kit* 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  43 

tens  to  the  Jitter.  All  of  her  progeny  are  taken  with 
alacrity  by  Joe's  friends  among  the  commission  men, 
being  often  promised  and  sold  before  they  are  born.  Her 
sons  and  daughters  are  distributed  all  over  Englevvood, 
to  the  number  of  100,  it  is  estimated,  and  their  fame 
has  gone  abroad  in  the  land.  The  cherished  felines  are 
known  as  "Getler's  cats,"  and  are  supposed  to  inherit 
their  mother's  shrewdness  and  skill  in  the  hunt. 

Smut  is  a  terror  to  rats  and  likes  nothing  better  than 
a  still  hunt  after  game.  She  is  by  no  means  of  the 
"new"  order  of  females  and  attends  carefully  to  her 
domestic  duties,  but  when  not  imperatively  engaged 
in  these  she  can  be  seen  at  most  hours  of  the  day  and 
night  in  a  death-chase  after  her  foes.  She  has  made  her 
home  in  the  tagging  shanty  for  the  past  three  years, 
and  has  cleared  a  circle  of  rats  all  about  her  for  a  radius 
of  one-fourth  of  a  mile.  She  not  uncommonly  ventures 
up  in  the  packing-houses,  a  half-mile  or  so  away,  after 
her  prey.  Another  pet  taste  of  hers  is  an  epicurean  love 
for  sparrows,  and  in  pursuit  of  these  dainty  morsels 
Smut  has  developed  some  strange  traits,  for  a  cat. 
When  her  master  starts  off  in  his  spare  moments  with 
his  gun  to  shoot  sparrows  for  his  favorite,  Smut  trots 
along  behind  him  as  alert  as  a  trained  hunter,  and 
when  the  birds  fall  after  the  crack  of  the  rifle,  Smut 
will  retrieve  them  with  an  attention  to  the  business 
in  hand  worthy  of  the  most  carefully  practiced  retriev- 
ing dog. 

Joe  met  with  a  great  sorrow  in  the  sad  loss  of  "Nig," 
another  feline  pet,  about  twelve  months  ago,  and  in 
honor  to  Nig's  memory  has  established  a  cemetery  with 


44 


ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 


a  conventional  mound  in  the  center,  and  a  headstone 
in  Nig's  commemoration  with  the  appropriate  inscrip- 
tion of  "Nig:  Requiescc^  in  Pace."  Joe  sees  to  it 
most  carefully  that  this  "grave  is  kept  green,"  and  in 
summer  it  is  watered  faithfully  and  decked  with  flowers. 


"SMUT"  MOURNING  OVER  "NIG's"  GRAVE. 

There  goes  a  story  at  Joe's  expense,  though  no  one 
will  actually  swear  to  its  truth,  that  one  night  soon 
after  the  advent  of  one  of  Smut's  numerous  families 
Joe  was  disturbed  by  a  most  prodigious  caterwauling, 
whioh  he  terms  a  Thomas  concert,  in  front  of  his  sleep- 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  45 

ing-quarters,  and  going  out  to  look  into  the  matter  he 
saw  four  great  cats  of  the  male  persuasion  squatted  in 
a  sort  of  square,  and  howling  for  dear  life.  Joe  had 
been  reading  in  the  early  evening  an  account  of  the 
customs  of  the  Fiji  or  some  other  islands  where  each 
woman  has  several  husbands,  and  questions  of  descent 
are  settled  among  the  several  benedicts  by  electing 
one  of  them  to  stand  in  the  place  of  father  to  the  off- 
spring. This  must  have  come  into  Joe's  mind,  for  after 
driving  away  the  vociferous  felines  he  was  overheard 
by  a  passer-by  to  say,  with  a  chuckling  laugh,  "Well, 
them  darned  cats  must  have  met  to  elect  a  father  1" 


ONE  ON  CUDAHY. 

CUDAHY,  the  big  packer,  was  around  inspecting  his 
plant  one  day.  In  one  of  his  big  buildings  he  detected 
the  unmistakable  "perfume1'  of  an  old  clay  pipe's  triple 
extract,  and,  looking  around,  discovered  a  "terrier" 
perched  high  up  on  a  pile  of  barrels,  calmly  smoking 
in  violation  of  the  big  placards  forbidding  smoking  on 
these  premises. 

"What  are  you  doing  there?"  demanded  Cudahy. 

"Takin'  a  shmoak, "  was  the  undisturbed  reply. 

"Do  you  know  who  I  am?" 

"That  I  doan't  " 

"I  am  the  superintendent  and  proprietor  of  these 
premises." 

"Shure  now,  it's  a  good  place  ye  have.  I'd  advise 
ye  to  kape  it." 


PACKING-HOUSE  BUYERS. 

"PACKINGTOWN." 

ADJOINING  the  stockyards  is  that  novel  sput  known 
as  "Packingtown,"  which  contains  the  fifteen  colossal 
packing-houses  which  owe  their  existence  to  the  prox- 
imity of  the  yards.  These  packing-houses  are  the  prop- 
ery  of  P.  D.  Armour  &  Co.,  Swift  &  Co.,  Nelson  Morris 
&  Co.,  Lib  by,  McNeill  &  Libby,  International  &  Wells 
Packing  Co.,  Continental  Packing  Co.,  Anglo-American 
Provision  Co.,  Cudahy  Packing  Co.,  Thomas  J.  Lipton 
Co.,  Chicago  Packing  &  Provision  Co.,  Roberts  &  Oake, 
Michener  Bros.  &  Co.,  North  Packing  &  Provision  Co., 
Henry  J.  Seiter,  and  Silberborn  Co.  In  these  packing- 
houses much  of  the  live  stock  from  the  yards  is  trans- 
formed from  lowing  cattle,  bleating  sheep  and  grunting 
swine  into  neatly-canned  dried  beef,  luncheon  meat, 
potted  tongue,  minced  collops,  breakfast  bacon,  deviled 
ham,  "condensed"  soup,  and  the  thousand  and  one 
other  delicacies  undreamed  of  by  our  grandmothers, 

46 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


47 


but  which  are  revolutionizing  domestic  economy  as 
surely  as  electricity  is  working  a  revolution  in  mechan- 
ics. These  food  products  are  shipped  to  every  country 
on  the  globe. 

Some  idea  may  be  gained  of  the  immensity  of  the 
packing-house  industry  when  it  is  said  that  the  packing- 
houses cover  an  area  of  three  hundred  acres.  They  are 


A  CHOICE  LOT  ON  THE  SCALES. 

fitted  up  with  every  modern  appliance  with  which  to 
facilitate  their  work,  and  are  conducted  with  such  abso- 
lute neatness  that  the  most  fastidious  would  not  hesi- 
tate to  enjoy  their  food  products.  The  cold  storage 
rooms  belonging  to  the  different  firms  cover  many  acres 
of  ground,  and  have  a  combined  capacity  of  many  thou- 
sand tons,  one  freezer  alone  holding  10,000,000  pounds. 


48  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

The   sales  of  only  one  of  these  firms  amount  to  more 
than  $65,000,000  annually. 

Not  very  many  years  ago  Cincinnati  was  the  loca- 
tion of  the  great  packing-houses,  the  city  being  then 
called  Hogapolis,  and  later  Porkapolis,  in  humorous  rec- 
ognition of  the  tremendous  quantity  of  hogs, dressed  and 
undressed,  shipped  to  and  from  the  city.  Cincinnati, 
however,  never  held  the  position  which  Chicago  does 
as  a  site  of  packing-houses,  for  contemporaneously  with 
Cincinnati's  glory  in  that  respect  St.  Louis,  Omaha, 
Kansas  City  and  Louisville  had  large  packing-houses 
of  their  own,  whereas  Chicago  capital  now  owns  and 
controls  every  packing-house  of  any  size  in  the  country. 

Connected  with  the  packing-houses  are  the  slaughter- 
houses, places  which  daily  present  scenes  which  would 
almost  convince  the  most  callous  that  killing  animals 
for  food  is,  after  all,  little  short  of  cannibalism,  al- 
though the  methods  are  as  humane  as  methods  of 
slaughter  can  well  be. 

The  rules  regulating  the  killing  of  cattle  are  hard 
and  fast  and  strictly  enforced.  First  of  all,  the  cattle 
must  be  fed  and  watered  before  being  weighed.  With- 
out the  preliminary  step  of  weighing  they  cannot  be 
sold.  The  animals  must  not  be  killed  until  twenty-four 
hours  after  leaving  the  ranch,  should  they  reach  the 
stockyards  within  that  period;  and  should  there  be 
good  reasons  for  delay,  they  may  be  held  for  several 
days,  or  even  weeks,  before  being  slaughtered. 

Following  the  weighing,  the  cattle  are  carefully  in- 
spected by  government  officials,  on  the  way  from  the 
scales  to  the  slaughter  pen,  the  diseased  being  separat- 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


49 


ed  from  the  healthy  cattle.  From  this  point  on  the 
cattle  are  treated  as  individuals.  They  are  no  longer 
a  herd,  each  steer  becoming  a  "beef"  and  thereafter  go- 
ing entirely  on  his  merits  as  steak  and  roast.  The  first 


THE  KNOCK-OUT — KILLING  CATTLE. 

step  in  the  individualizing  process  is  to  drive  the  steers 
for  slaughter  into  the  slaughter  pen — a  narrow,  sepa- 
rate pen,  only  large  enough  for  two  animals  at  a  time. 
A  man  stands  on  a  board  walk  above,  and  with  a  well 
directed  blow  with  a  heavy  sledge,  stuns  him.  A  door 
is  raised  as  the  steer  falls,  causing  him  to  slide  out 


50  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

upon  the  floor  of  the  slaughter-house.  A  chain  is  now 
fastened  to  his  hind  legs  and  he  is  hoisted  from  the 
floor,  his  forelegs  spread  wide  apart,  and  a  sharp  knife 
thrust  into  his  throat  by  a  man  who  does  no  other  part 
of  the  work  than  this.  As  the  knife  strikes  the  throat 
the  blood  wells  out  in  a  torrent.  This  ocean  of  blood 
is  washed  down  into  a  gutter  leading  to  a  tank,  from 
which  it  is  pumped  into  covered  carts  and  conveyed  to 
the  fertilizer  factory. 

The  head  of  the  steer  is  now  removed.  He  is  then 
lowered  to  the  floor  and  laid  upon  his  back,  sticks  set 
in  the  floor  propping  him  up.  The  legs  are  now  broken, 
the  stomach  opened  and  the  hide  skinned  from  the 
edges  cf  the  opening.  A  hook  is  then  stuck  behind  each 
of  the  joints  of  the  hind  legs,  and  the  steer  hoisted  up 
to  a  position  convenient  for  the  butchers,  whose  subject 
he  now  is.  The  tail  is  cut  off,  the  intestines  removed 
and  the  hide  pulled  a  little  farther  off.  This  done,  the 
animal  is  hoisted  from  the  floor.  Above  are  two  tracks 
on  which  are  wheels  with  hooks  hanging  from  them. 
These  hooks  are  substituted  for  those  previously  put 
behind  the  joints  of  the  hind  legs,  leaving  the  steer  con- 
veniently hanging  from  the  wheels.  The  hide  is  now 
completely  removed  by  two  men  pulling  it  and  a  third 
beating  it  and  separating  it  from  the  flesh  with  a 
cleaver.  When  removed  the  hide  is  inspected  and,  if 
found  intact,  is  sent  to  a  cellar  to  be  salted  and  folded 
and  made  ready  for  sale. 

At  once  the  hide  is  removed  from  the  steer  the  car- 
cass is  halved  lengthwise  by  means  of  a  huge  cleaver, the 
ragged  edges  being  then  trimmed  by  several  men,  who 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  51 

also  wasn  ana  dry  the  moat  very  carefully.  Number- 
ing, tagging,  weighing  and  hanging  in  the  cooler  now 
follow  rapitiiy,  the  carcass  being  rolled  rapidly  along 
the  tracks  irom  man  to  man  until  the  task  is  done. 
From  five  to  eight  minutes  have  elapsed  from  the  time 
the  steer  was  knocked  on  the  head  until  placed  in  the 
cooler,  during  which  time  he  has  passed  through  the 


DRESSING    BEEF. 

hands  of  forty-two  men.  He  is  followed  in  such  quick 
succession  by  other  steers  that  the  men  have  not  even 
time  to  crack  a  joke,  resembling  automatic  machines  in 
the  rapidity  and  regularity  of  their  movements.  Sev- 
eral thousand  cattle  are  killed  and  dressed  during  the 
ten  working  hours  of  the  day. 


52 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


In  spite  of  this  rapidity,  every  part  of  the  process  i* 
attended  with  the  utmost  cleanliness.  First,  every  pre- 
caution is  taken  to  remove  from  the  arteries  all  the 
blood,  as  blood  left  among  the  muscular  tissues  hastens 
decomposition.  The  men  who  handle  the  meat  must 
wash  their  hands  frequently  at  the  hose  near  by,  and 
a  drop  of  blood  on  the  hands  must  be  removed  instant- 
ly. In  fact,  no  speck  of  dirt  reaches  the  meat,  and  the 


INNOCENTS  GOING  TO    SLAUGHTER. 

carcass  never  touches   the  floor  after  the  hide  is  re- 
moved. 

A  word  about  the  cattle.  The  cattle  shipped  to 
the  stockyards  may  be  divided  into  two  classes,  native 
cattle  and  range  cattle.  Native  cattle  come  from  the 
farms  of  the  middle  western  states,  while  range  cattle 
are  from  the  ranches  and  plains  of  Texas,  Colorado, 
Wyoming  and  Montana.  The  former  constitute  three- 
fourths  of  all  the  cattle  received  at  the  yards,  and  make 
the  fine  beef  which  is  exported  to  Europe,  whereas 
range  cattle  make  very  indifferent  beef. 


54  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Killing  sheep  is  fully  as  interesting  a  process,  though 
less  humane,  than  killing  steers.  The  sheep,  like  the 
steers,  are  fed,  watered  and  weighed  before  being  sold. 
Those  sold  to  the  packing-houses  are  then  driven 
through  viaducts  to  the  slaughter-house.  In  a  pen  at 
the  end  of  the  viaduct  are  two  sheep,  each  with  a  bell 
on  its  neck.  These  sheep  are  the  leaders,  and  advantage 
is  taken  of  the  well-known  peculiarity  of  sheep  in  fol- 
lowing in  a  flock  where  one  leads.  The  leaders  have 
been  trained  to  lead  the  flock  to  the  slaughter  pen, 
from  which  they  slip  away  and  return  to  their  own  pen, 
leaving  the  flock  to  the  mercies  of  the  butcher.  This 
is  a  much  quicker  method  than  driving  them. 

Now  comes  a  scene  at  sight  of  which  many  people 
faint — a  veritable  slaughter  of  innocents.  A  shackle  is 
slipped  over  the  hind  legs  of  two  sheep  at  a  time  and 
they  are  hoisted  up,  by  means  of  a  chain,  to  a  boy  who 
sees  that  the  shackles  are  attached  to  wheels  which  run 
on  tracks  overhead.  The  sticker  is  at  hand  and  plunges 
a  sharp  knife  into  their  throats,  almost  severing  the 
heads,  and  the  poor  beasts  are  then  sent  to  boys  who  rip 
the  hide  up  the  legs;  the  legs  are  then  broken  and  a 
hook  placed  behind  the  joints  of  the  forelegs.  From 
here  they  are  sent  to  a  succession  of  men  who  each  re- 
move a  part  of  the  hide,  until  the  carcass  is  completely 
skinned.  The  head  and  intestines  are  now  removed,  and 
the  carcasses,  after  being  washed  and  dried,  are  sent  on 
to  the  dressers,  whose  work  is  described  in  detail  else- 
where in  this  book. 

Killing  hogs  is  also  among  the  sights  of  the  slaugh- 
ter-house. It  is  no  more  humane  in  method  than  kill- 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


55 


ing  sheep,  but  so  prejudiced  is  man  against  the  poor  hog 
that  there  arr»  few  people  who  cannot  see  him  slaugh- 
tered without  blanching.  Through  the  mile-long  via- 
ducts the  drove  of  hogsjis  driven  to  the  shackling  pen. 
Here  a  boy  goes  in  among  them  and  slips  a  shackle 
over  the  hind  leg  of  a  hog,  a  hook  suspended  from  a 
chain  is  slipped  into  a  ring  on  the  shackle,  and  the 


CUTTING  UP    HOGS. 

squealing  hog  hoisted  by  machinery  to  a  man  who 
places  him  upon  a  greased  rail  which  inclines  down- 
ward. The  hook  and  chain  are  loosed  and  thrown  back 
to  the  boy  in  the  pen,  who  sends  up  another  hog. 
Meanwhile  the  unfortunate  pig  has  reached  the  sticker, 
who  ends  his  vociferous  squeals  with  a  thrust  from  a 
sharp  double-edged  knife.  Down  the  greased  rail  he 


50 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


goes  again,  after  an  enforced  pause  to  allow  the  blood 
to  drain  out.  He  now  reaches  a  boy  who  slips  a  hook 
into  the  shackle,  and  then  lets  the  hog  slide  off  the 
end  of  the  rail.  The  hard  jerk  caused  by  the  drop 
of  the  hog  draws  the  shackle  off  his  leg,  and  he  drops 


A  MILE  OF  SAUSAGE. 

into  a  tub  of  hot  water.  He  is  kept  rolling  in  this 
Turkish  bath  by  men  with  long  poles,  until  he  reaches 
the  other  end  of  the  tub,  when,  by  means  of  machinery, 
he  is  thrown  out  upon  a  table.  Here  the  hair  is  removed 
from  the  ears,  after  which  he  is  fastened  to  a  "scrap- 
er," which  scrapes  off  nearly  all  the  bristles,  what  re- 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


57 


mains  being  taken  off  by  hand.  This  done,  he  is  put 
upon  another  rail  and  pushed  along  to  the  "wash  box," 
where  he  gets  a  severe  spray  bath  in  water  spouting 
with  much  force  from  iron  pipes  set  on  either  side  of 
the  rail  along  which  he  is  being  pushed.  He  now  reaches 
the  "barbers,"  who  shave  him  thoroughly,  and  no 
gentleman  ever  looked  fresher  or  whiter  than  he  does 
when  his  shave  is  finished. 


ARMOUR'S  ELEVATED  SAUSAGE  TROLLEY. 

The  next  step  is  to  take  out  the  intestines,  which  is 
done  in  a  trice  by  a  man.  When  this  is  done  a  heavy 
stream  of  water  is  turned  on  him,  inside  and  out,  after 
which  the  inside  is  wiped  out  with  clean  cloths  and  the 
outside  scraped  oft*  with  knives.  The  lard  is  now  pulled 
out  by  two  men,  and  the  hog  weighed  and  sent  to  the 
cooler — just  three  minutes  after  his  throat  was  stuck. 


THE     SLICKEST    CONFIDENCE     GAME   IN 
CHICAGO 

PHIL  was  the  name  of  the  strawberry -roan  steer  which 
until  recently  was  used  at  Armour's  packing-house  to  de- 
coy his  unsuspecting  country  cousins  to  their  tragic  fate. 
This  bovine  Judas  had  very  amiable  ways,  a  winning 
disposition,  with  a  benevolent  smile,  large  soulful  e\Tes 
whose  benign  expression  never  failed  to  delude  his  vic- 
tims into  almost  touching  reliance  upon  his  honest  in- 
tentions. Alas!  that  so  much  guile  should  lurk  behind 
so  amiable  a  mask!  for  Phil  was  the  slickest  confidence 
game  in  Chicago.  He  was  well  groomed  and  cared  for; 
he  was  blanketed  to  protect  him  from  cold  in  winter 
and  from  the  flies  in  summer,  and  enjoyed  the  confidence 
of  his  superiors.  He  had  held  his  position  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  retained  it  until  his  arts  lost  their 
cunning  through  age  and  natural  decline.  He  amused 
himself  through  the  day  in  making  visits  to  the  pens 
of  the  cattle  waiting  their  turn  at  the  block.  As  soon 
as  the  drover  came  to  drive  a  herd  up  to  the  slaughter 
pen  Phil  was  notified,  and  as  the  gates  were  opened  he 
took  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  procession  to  lead 
them  through  the  intricate  passageways  to  their  doom. 
If  any  of  the  drove  attempted  to  fly  the  track  or  pass 
him,  he  butted  them  back  with  great  decision,  and  let 
them  know  he  was  master  of  the  herd.  As  he  marched 

58 


THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS 


59 


along  to  the  peris  at  the  head  of  the  deluded  travelers 
going  to  their  last  home,  the  close  observer  might  have 
perceived  a  knowing  twinkle  in  his  eye,  as  one  who  had 
the  laugh  all  on  his  side.  Previous  to  this,  while 
standing  outside  the  pens  and  scraping  acquaintance 
with  the  inmates,  he  had  looked  as  demure  as  a  preach- 
er. The  drove  followed  confidingly  along  behind  the 


PHIL,   THE  "CON"  STEER. 

rascal  without  a  suspicion  of  his  perfidy.  When  he  got 
to  the  top  of  the  run  that  leads  into  the  fatal  pen  his 
attention  was  immediately  attracted  elsewhere  and  he 
wheeled  to  the  right  like  a  SeventI  Infantry  soldier- 
Here  he  would  find  some  pretense  to  stop,  either  to 
scratch  his  ear,  or  pick  a  thorn  from  his  hoof,  or  view 
some  point  of  interest  in  the  landscape,  so  that  the 
fresh  ducks,  relieved  of  their  leader  and  thinking  they 
knew  the  way,  passed  on  to  the  valley  of  death.  Down 
would  come  the  gate,  and  Master  Phil,  winking  his 


60  ILLUSTRATED  BISTORT? 

guileful  eye  and  giving  a  last  look  at  his  victims,  would 
make  his  way  down  along  the  pens, seeking  acquaintance 
with  fresh  dupes.  Oh,  he  knew  his  business!  and  was 
one  of  the  hardest,  toughest  characters  in  the  stock- 
yards. 

Phil  was  rather  a  favorite  amongst  the  employes, 
and  had  been  at  this  bunko  game  for  about  five  years. 
But  aha!  one  day  last  fall  Phil  found  himself  on  the 
other  side  of  the  gate.  What  a  surprise  that  was  to 
him!  He  had  grown  lazy  with  age,  and  was  much  more 
inclined  to  stay  in  his  own  snug  pen  than  to  decoy 
others  to  the  pen  of  death,  or  maybe  a  tardy  conscience 
had  been  developed  in  him.  However  that  may  be, 
Phil  had  lost  his  usefulness,  and  so  one  day  he  him- 
self was  the  victim  of  a  plot.  When  he  got  to  the  top 
of  the  pen  he  found  his  usual  wheeling  place  boarded 
off,  and  the  pen  made  so  narrow  for  the  occasion  that 
he  could  not  wheel.  Neither  could  he  turn  back.  Then 
Phil  demonstrated  that  weakness  of  logic  which  is  the 
cause  of  every  rascal's  downfall  sooner  or  later.  He 
reasoned  that  if  the  pen  had  been  made  narrow  it  must 
have  been  done  for  some  purpose;  probably  the  gate  had 
been  moved  farther  up,  and  he  would,  no  doubt,  find  a 
turning  off  place  in  due  time.  So  he  went  unsuspecting- 
ly on,  when,  oh  perfidy  of  man!  down  came  the  gate, 
and  down  also  came  the  sledge  of  the  man  above! 
"There  is  after  all  no  honor  among  thieves!"  groaned 
Phil  as  he  fell  beneath  the  blow. 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  HORSE  MARKET. 

CHICAGO'S  horse  market  has  become  such  an  impor- 
tant feature  of  the  Union  Stockyards  that  today  there 
are  bought  and  sold  in  this  city  more  horses  than  at 


THE  HORSE    PAVILION. 


any  other  market  in  the  world.  The  average  daily  sale 
of  horses  at  these  stockyards  is  300,  including  private 
sales  and  public  auctions.  The  business  is  increasing 
daily. 


61 


62  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

A  national  horse  auction  sale  has  been  organized. 
The  national  scheme  seems  to  be  a  spontaneous  move- 
ment among  horse  commission  men  of  the  United  States, 
as  nearly  every  firm  of  prominence  is  represented.  The 
object  of  the  association  is  to  protect,  promote,  and 
morally  elevate  the  horse  sale  industry  of  America;  the 
real  aim  being  to  crowd  out  of  the  business  all  trick- 
sters, all  dishonorable  and  irresponsible  dealers,  and 
elevate  the  profession  to  the  highest  standard  of  a  legit- 
imate industry.  Rules  of  sales  will  secure  uniformity 
in.  all  the  horse  auctions  of  America,  and  are  designed 
to  protect  the  buyer  and  the  seller.  This  organization 
embr.afees  vast  interests  and  represents  transactions 
of  many  millions  of  dollars. 

There  are  engaged  in  this  business  at  the  Union  Stock- 
yards some  twenty  firms,  who  are  responsible  for  all 
transactions  emanating  from  their  respective  stables. 
These  commission  men  in  turn  each  give  a  bond  of 
$20,000  to  the  stockyards  company  in  token  of  good 
faith  to  the  consignors.  Commodious,  well  ventilated 
stabling  for  4,000  horses  is  provided,  and  there  has  re- 
cently been  erected  a  pavilion  at  an  outlay  of  many 
thousands  of  dollars  for  holding  special  livestock  sales. 

Auction  sales  take  place  every  day,  Sundays  excepted. 
In  attendance  at  these  sales  are  buyers  from  all  parts 
of  America,  Johnny  Bulls  from  England  and  Canada, 
canny  Scots  from  Scotland,  jovial  Irishmen  looking  for 
the  "makings"  of  timber-toppers,  Frenchmen  and  de- 
scendants of  old  Spain  who  come  to  replenish  the  mar- 
kets of  Mexico  and  Cuba  with  American  horses. 

The  respective  commission  firms  employ  auctioneers 


64  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

at  salaries  of  from  $8,000  to  $6,000  annually,  who  sell 
twice  each  week,  These  men  have  stentorian  voices 
and  lungs  like  oxen,  and  are  human  mechanical  talking 
machines.  They  earn  their  money,  for  the  life  of  a  man 
in  this  business  is  short  A  great  deal  of  responsibility 
rests  with  them.  They  know  every  buyer  in  front  of 
the  rostrum,  and  acknowledge  as  bids  all  kinds  of  pri- 


REJECTED — BALKY. 

vate  signs,  nods  and  winks.  They  can  tell  at  a  glance 
the  merits  or  demerits  of  the  lot  they  are  selling,  using 
great  judgment  to  please  both  the  buyer  and  seller, 
which  they  do  with  marked  success,  as  seldom  a  com- 
plaint is  heard.  Sixty  horses  an  hour  is  the  general 
average  Sometimes  seventy-five  are  sold  in  that 
time;  740  horses  is  the  best  record  for  one  day's  sale. 
All  classes  of  horses  are  sold.  One  minute  a  Clydes- 
dale weighing  1800  pounds,  then  perhaps  a  dimin- 
utive pony  or  some  well-known  race  horse. 


OF   THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS 


65 


The  ring  (or  "bull  pen")  is  never,  during  the  sales, 
without  a  lot  of  horses  in  front  of  the  auctioneer.  Im- 
mediately after  a  sale  the  animal  is  sent  back  to  the 
stables,  and  men  engaged  for  that  purpose  give  it  a  trial 
before  the  buyer,  and  it  is  left  to  his  option  if  he  ac- 
cepts or  rejects  the  purchase. 

Horses  must  be  as  represented,  and  are  sold  under 


BUYERS    FOR    BELGIUM. 

the  five  following  conditions,  according  to  the  guaran- 
tee of  the  consignor: 

1.  To  be  sound.  2  Serviceably  sound.  8.  Wind 
and  work.  4.  Worker  only.  5.  Halter. 

A  horse  sold  under  the  hammer  can  be  rejected  by 
noon  the  day  following  the  day  of  sale  if  it  does  not 
comply  with  the  warranty. 

A  horse  sold  for  sound  must  be  perfectly  sound  in 
every  way.  A  horse  sold  as  serviceably  sound  must  be 
virtually  a  sound  horse;  its  wind  and  eyes  must  be  good, 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


67 


it  must  not  be  lame  or  sore  in  any  way  and  must  be 
sound,  barring  slight  blemishes,  and  the  blemishes 
must  not  constitute  any  unsoundness,  and  nothing 
more  than  splints,  slight  puffs,  and  a  little  rounding  on 
the  curb  joints,  and  must  not  have  a  brand  It  may  be 
a  little  cut  out  in  the  knees,  but  must  not  stand  over  on 
the  knees  or  ankles;  it  may  have  a  little  puff  on  the 
outside  of  the  hock,  but  must  not  have  a  thorough-pin 


WAITING    HIS   TURN   AT   THE  BLOCK 

or  boggy  hocks.  Ringbone  is  barred,  although  it  may 
naturally  be  a  little  coarse  jointed.  The  front  part  of 
hocks  inside  must  not  be  puffed.  It  may  have  slight 
scars  or  wire  marks,  but  these  must  not  be  such  as  to 
cause  any  deformity  of  the  body,  legs,  or  feet,  and 
nothing  more  than  a  slight  scar.  It  must  not  have  any 
scars  from  fistula  or  poll-evil.  It  cannot  have  a  hip 
down,  and  if  one  hip  is  lower  than  the  other  it  must  be 
natural  and  not  deformitv.  It  must  not  have  a  side- 


68  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

bone  or  any  blemishes  that  reduce  its  value  more  than 
a  trifle.     Car  bruises  must  be  of  a  temporary  nature. 

A  horse  sold  to  wind  and  work  must  have  good  wind 
and  be  a  good  worker  and  not  a  cribber.  Everything 
else  goes.  A  horse  sold  to  work  only  must  be  a  good 
worker.  A  horse  sold  at  the  halter  is  sold  just  as  he 
stands,  without  any  recommendation. 


WINDING    HORSES. 

Next  to  the  auctioneer  there  are  five  boards  swinging 
on  a  pivot,  and  as  the  horse  is  brought  forward  the 
condition  of  his  anatomy  is  displayed  and  sometimes 
changed  two  or  three  times  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye 
as  the  animal  is  being  sold  The  ring  salesman,  with 
an  eye  like  an  eagle,  may  discover  a  blemish  which 
was  overlooked  by  an  inexperienced  consignor  or  farmer, 
few  of  whom  are  conversant  with  what  constitutes  a 
sound  horse  or  a  hereditary  blemish.  So  purchasers 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


69 


and  sellers  must  have  their  eyes  on  the  board  and  on 
the  horse  being  offered.  There  is  no  time  for  argument 
or  hesitation.  A  moment's  delay  and  the  cry  is  "Sell 
him;"  "$50;"  "5;"  "$60;"  "sold;"  "next,"  So  it  goes; 
a  horse  a  minute.  Business  is  conducted  in  a  sound 
but  methodical  way. 


"HE'S  o.  K.  " 

Buyers  must  be  on  the  alert  and  keep  their  "Mink- 
ers"  oscillating  between  the  horse,  auctioneer,  and 
condition  signs.  With  all  this  immense  business  there 
is  seldom  a  dispute.  In  case  of  any  discrepancy  it  is 
immediately  referred  to  Mr.  Samuel  Cozzens,  the  super- 
intendent, who  is  here,  there,  and  everywhere,  very 
watchful  of  the  interests  of  both  the  stockyards  com- 


pany and  the  general  public.     His 


word  "goes" 


70 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


out  a  murmur.  It  is  singular,  but  nevertheless  it  is  a 
fact,  that  in  the  space  of  two  years  only  on  one  occa- 
sion has  recourse  to  law  been  necessary  to  settle  a  dis- 
pute arising  over  the  sale  of  a  horse. 

One  of  the  most  mysterious  departments  of  this  im- 
mense business  is  the  "feed  tally,"  which  is  managed 
entirely  by  one  man,  the  stable  superintendent.  There 


BUYING    BUSSERS — "A  SIDE-BONE." 

are  forty  stables,  and  hundreds  of  horses  arrive  and  are 
shipped  daily,  singly  and  in  carload  lots,  consigned, 
reconsigned,  sold,  rejected,  and  sometimes  passed 
through  several  hands  in  a  day,  but  in  some  quiet  and 
unseen  way  every  transaction  is  silently  followed  up, 
and  at  the  closing  of  the  day's  business  if  the  buyer 
cannot  find  his  horse  or  horses  among  this  labyrinth 
of  stables  a  call  to  No.  4  stable,  a  ring  on  the  "Bell"  and 
the  number  of  stall  and  stable  is  immediately  handed 


OF  THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS 


71 


him.  Horses  are  consigned  to  this  market  from  near- 
ly every  state  in  the  Union.  Lively  scenes  are  enacted 
every  day  by  the  shipping  and  unloading  of  immense 
droves  of  horses  as  they  are  being  led  through  the  yards 
to  and  from  the  chutes  of  the  cars.  There  is  a  European 
demand  for  American  horses.  At  a  very  fashionable 
horse  show  held  in  New  York  last  year,  and  again  this 
year,  horses  bred  in  the  West  carried  off  the  honors, 


"SALE  OVER." 

and  they  were  exhibited  with  horses  imported  at  fabu- 
lous prices  by  Gotham's  millionaires.  Europe  exports 
carriage  horses  and  those  adapted  for  vans  and  busses. 
There  are  no  particularly  new  features  of  the  horse 
market  so  far  as  the  demand  for  home  consumption  is 
concerned,  but  with  regard  to  the  English  export  trade 
a  new  state  of  affairs  obtains.  Up  to  the  present  day, 
almost,  the  English  have  been  selling  us  horses.  If 
they  bought  in  return  they  bought  inferior  working 


72  ILLUSTRATED    HISTOR? 

stock  at  small  prices,  whereas  they  sold  us  blooded  an- 
imals at  high  prices.  Now  the  situation  is  practically 
reversed,  and  both  in  number  and  value  of  horses  the 
figures  are  against  the  English. 

It  is  not  putting  it  too  strongly  to  say  that  the  Amer- 
can  dealer  has  a  firm  hold  on  the  English  market. 
We  are  selling  England  working  horses  better  than 
her  own,  and  we  are  also  selling  England  light  harness 
horses  and  trotters. 

Naturally  this  state  of  affairs  is  exciting  the  liveliest 
interest  in  England.  The  following  figures  give  the 
details  of  the  trade  during  twenty-two  years,  and  show 
its  growth  in  the  United  Kingdom  as  compared  with 
the  exports: 


Exports, 
No. 

Imports, 
No. 

1871-'82  (average  per  vear)  

49Oft 

*>A   Q7J. 

1882-'93  (average  per  3"  ear)  

fi    ftOfl 

6*307 

1894  

1  ft  JA7 

09    C«A 

1895  .. 

9,1    4.37 

5U  1-1Q 

While  the  English  exports  compared  favorably  with 
their  imports  in  1894,  in  1895  their  imports  were  largely 
in  excess.  Prior  to  1895,  too,  the  value  of  the  exports 
per  head  had  been  higher  than  that  of  the  imports,  but 
last  year  the  position  was  for  the  first  time  reversed. 
In  1894  the  value  of  the  horses  brought  into  Great 
Britain  averaged  $120,  and  those  exported  $125,  while 
last  year  the  imported  horses  averaged  $135  and  the  ex- 
ported $130.  The  increase  in  the  value  is  due  to  the 
introduction  of  the  American  working  geldings.  The 
following  table  shows  how  the  value  is  divided  between 
breeding  animals  and  working  horses: 


73 


Stallions  

Exports. 

Imports. 

Number. 

Value  per 
head. 

Number. 

Value  per 
head. 

599 
3,010 
17,237 

£108 
42 
19 

824 
10,331 
22,994 

£91 
26 
25 

Mares  

Geldings  

The  following  table  was  prepared  by  the  London 
Sporting  Life,  and  shows  the  number  of  horses  im- 
ported into  the  United  Kingdom  in  1894  and  1895, 
and  the  countries  from  which  they  came: 


Foreign  Countries. 

1894. 

1895. 

Russia  

3,293 

Norway  

86 

Denmark  

1  802 

2  202 

4,785 

3  765 

Holland  

1.129 

1  285 

Belgium  

255 

143 

France  

25)3 

287 

United  States             

4  843 

10  351 

Argentine  Republic  

821 

439 

Other  foreign  countries  

88 

Total  foreign  countries  

T7  P.QR 

British  Possessions. 
Channel  Islands  

34 

British  East  Indies            

18 

5,424 

12,908 

Other  British  possessions  

35 

Total  British  possessions  

5  511 

-•••••• 

All  other  countries  

2,754 

Grand  Totals  

23,106 

34,147 

Russia  has  completely  dropped  out  of  the  English 
market,  and  there  is  a  decline  in  the  shipments  from 
Germany,  the  Argentine  Republic  and  Belgium.  It 
will  be  seen  that  the  American  working  horses  dominate 
the  English  market.  The  value  of  the  imports  from 
the  United  States  in  1894  was  $898,845,  and  in  1895 


74 


ILLUSTRATE!) 


$1,726,625.     In  1894  the  Canadian  importations  were 
worth  $905,895,  and  in  1895  $1,846,285. 

AJ1  the  good  horses  do  not  go  through  the  Chicago 
market  to  other  places.  Many  of  them  stay  here.  There 
is  spirited  bidding  between  Chicago  men  over  specially 
desirable  animals.  Still,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
Chicago  is  a  good  deal  like  the  farmer  who  sends  all  his 


"A  BAD  UN." 

best  to  market  on  the  principle  that  any  old  thing  is 
good  enough  for  him  to  live  on.  Considering  the 
length  and  beauty  of  Chicago's  driveways,  the  valuable 
horse  is  not  so  much  in  evidence  as  one  would  expect. 

The  coaching  division  makes  a  fair  showing  on  state 
occasions,  though  there  are  probably  less  than  a  score 
of  Chicagoans  sufficiently  interested  in  a  four-in-hand 
to  boast  a  complete  turnout. 

By  the  enthusiasts  horseback  riding  is  regarded  as  the 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


75 


poetry  of  motion  and  the  best  of  all  exercises.  A  phy- 
sician who  rides  both  a  horse  and  a  bicycle  puts  it  this 
way:  "After  all,  the  bicycle  is  but  a  substitute  for 
the  horse,  where  the  horse  cannot  be  had,  and  horseback 
riding  remains  the  perfect  exercise  for  health  and  en- 
joyment to  all  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to 
obtain  it, "  Somo  ardent  believers  in  this  exercise  claim 


NOON  AT  THE  HORSE  MARKET. 

that  people  who  can  take  it  by  so  doing  add  twenty 
years  to  their  lives,  and  add  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
whole  period  by  the  better  health  thereby  secured. 

The  truth  of  this  claim  is  proved  by  the  unbounded 
health  of  the  commission  men  at  the  stockyards,  who 
practically  live  in  the  saddle.  Most  of  them  at  fifty 
and  sixty  years  of  age,  having  spent  a  generation  at  the 
yards,  look  and  act  like  youngsters  and  athletes.  They 


76 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


laugh  at  sickness  and  few  dio  before  having  reached  a 
ripe  old  age  far  past  the  allotted  three  score  and  ten. 

A  large  percentage  of  farmers  have  neglected  breed- 
ing horses  the  last  two  years,  and  that  fact,  with  the 
horsemeat  canning  industries  springing  up  all  over  the 
country,  which  kill  thousands  of  useful  horses  weekly  to 
be  converted  into  human  food  for  cur  foreign  friends, 
or — who  knows? — for  a  free  lunch  near  by,  the  outlook 
is  that  horses  will  be  unusually  high  in  two  years,  and 
the  farmers  and  breeders  who  neglect  breeding  now  will 
undoubtedly  regret  it. 

People  who  predict  that  the  bicycle  and  electric  car 
will  replace  the  horse  should  take  into  consideration 
the  fact  that  a  new  invention  is  seldom  an  entire  sub- 
stitute for  what  it  is  intended  to  displace.  The  elec- 
tric light  has  not  yet  displaced  gas  nor  the  kerosene 
lamp,  the  mowing  machine  has  not  displaced  the  scythe, 
and  the  noble  horse  will  still  continue  to  be  a  useful 
and  much  sought  after  animal. 


H.    SHUHLEIN. 


"JUDGE"  BI.ODGETT. 


BUILDERS  OF  THE  HORSE  MARKET. 

ALONG  about.  1871  Tom  Evers,  taking  Horace  Gree- 
ley's  advice,  came  west,  landing  at  the  stockyards, 
Chicago.  His  first  business  there  was  scalping  hogs; 
then  some  consignor  shipped  in  a  couple  of  horses  with 
a  carload  of  hogs,  and  Tom  sold  them  to  advantage. 
Next  week  a  half-dozen  or  so  more  came,  and  for  these 
he  also  found  a  ready  market.  Then  the  thought  came 
to  him  that  to  establish  a  horse  market  might  be  a 
profitable  investment  of  time  and  money.  No  sooner 
was  the  idea  conceived  than  acted  upon,  Tom  soon  in- 
ducing the  stockyards  company  to  build  him  a  little 
stable.  He  was  right,  it  proved  a  profitable  invest- 
ment, as  a  number  of  rich  men  will  now  testify.  From 
such  small  beginnings  do  great  industries  grow.  Tom 
lived  to  see  his  "little  stable"  develop  into  the  great- 
est horse  market  in  the  world,  but,  his  ambition  more 
than  realized,  he  met  with  a  harrowing  accident,  yield- 
ing to  the  voice  of  the  Eternal  Bidder,  and  fell  before 
the  hammer  of  that  Great  Auctioneer,  Death.  Although 
without  relatives,  the  esteem  and  affection  with  which 
he  was  regarded  may  be  imagined  when  it  is  said 
that  the  church  was  filled  to  overflowing  on  the  oc- 
casion of  his  funeral,  and  that  old  men  and  women 
wept  as  the  solemn  words  of  the  funeral  service  were 
uttered.  "Here  lies  a  man  without  a  single  relative  to 
mourn  his  untimely  end,"  said  the  clergyman,  "but 

77 


1,  J.  S.  Cooper  2,  F.  J.  Berry.  3,  Jacob  Koehler.   4,  William 

Locke.  5.   F.  KenyoD.  6,   Leroy  Marsh.   7,  J.  J. 

Ellsworth.  8,  H.  McNair.  9,  James  Blair. 

10,  A.  Evans.    11,   A.  O.  Elder. 

12,  Samuel  Cozzens. 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  7» 

looking  around  this  vast,  respectable,  and  grief-stricken 
congregation  I  know  that  he  must  have  been  a  man 
with  a  big  heart, and  I  am  told  that  there  are  many  men 
in  this  city  who  owe  their  start  in  life  to  him."  Thus 
closed  the  life  of  one  who  did  much  for  the  prosperity 
of  the  city,  and  builded  for  himself  a  monument  in  the 
hearts  of  all  whom  he  knew. 


SOME    EXPORTERS. 

J.  S.  Cooper,  a  man  of  great  perspjcacity  and  with 
an  indomitable  will,  was  the  first  to  see  that  the  loca- 
tion of  the  city  and  the  presence  of  the  stockyards 
afforded  all  the  requirements  necessary  to  establish 
a  great  horse  market.  He  bought  out  Tom  Evers,  and 
very  shortly  thereafter  the  shingle  of  J.  S.  Cooper 
swung  out  to  the  breeze,  Cooper's  shrewdness,  go- 
aheadativeness  and  advertising  setting  the  ball  spin- 


80 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


ning  rapidly  which  Evers  had  started  rolling.  And 
today  John  S.  Cooper  is  a  rich  man.  prominent  in  both 
social,  business  and  political  circles,  and  is  doing  as 
extensive  a  business  as  any  man  in  the  yards.  He  is 
ably  assisted  by  Andrew  MacDonald,  who  is  the  equal 
of  his  chief  in  knowledge  of  the  business  and  all-round 
shrewdness. 

Cooper  may  justly  be  considered  the  father  of  the 
greatest  horse  market  in  the  world,  and  deserves  the 
gratitude  of  the  entire  northwest  for  his  activity  in  be- 
half of  the  horse  industry. 


HORSES    FOR    SHIPMENT. 

Cooper's  example  was  soon  followed  by  F.  J.  Berry. 
Mr.  Berry  came  to  Chicago  in  1872,  and  for  fifteen  years 
thereafter  was  engaged  in  knocking  down  horses  at  the 
old  stand  at  the  corner  of  Michigan  Avenue  and  Monroe 
Street.  But  Berry  was  not  satisfied  with  this;  his  am- 
bition prompted  him,  and  his  sagacity  urged  him  to  set 


OF  THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS  81 

up  his  block  at  the  stockyards.  After  getting  his  guns 
ib  order  he  commenced  a  great  system  of  advertising, 
in  which  direction  he  has  spent,  during  the  past  ten 
years,  the  enormous  sum  of  $80,000.  F.  J.  Berry — now 
F.  J.  Berry  and  Company — makes  a  specialty  of 
trotting  stock.  All  sorts  of  horses  come  to  him,  how- 
ever, principally  from  country  dealers  and  farmers. 
He  was  the  first  man  to  establish  auctions  in  Chi- 
cago 

Personally  Mr.  Berry  is  well  and  favorably  known 
all  over  America  and  Europe  as  a  good  deal  of  a  phi- 
lanthropist as  well  as  an  authority  on  horses.  A 
friendly  turn  to  a  friend  in  need  is  as  much  a  common- 
place with  him  as  the  sale  of  a  horse. 

One  of  the  successful  downtown  business  men  was 
Jacob  Koehler,  or  Jake  as  he  is  known.  Jake's  business 
was  extensive  and  profitable,  but  one  day  he  fixed  his 
eye  on  the  new  horse  market  at  the  stockyards,  and 
was  thrilled  by  the  possibilities  of  a  glorious  future  for 
that  enterprise.  So  putting  bag  and  baggage  in  a  prai- 
rie schooner,  he  traversed  the  plains  between  the  city 
and  stockyards  in  the  wake  of  his  friend  Berry,  his  sa- 
gacious mind  teeming  with  plans  for  the  rapid  upbuild- 
ing of  what  his  insight  prophesied  would  be  the  great- 
est market  in  the  world.  Jake's  plans  have  materialized; 
the  market  is  the  biggest  in  the  world,  and  he  is  one  of 
the  biggest  men  in  the  market,  his  stables  being  the 
rendezvous  of  many  of  the  largest  buyers  from  all  sec- 
tions. Beside  having  four  or  five  salesmen,  Koehler  is 
ably  assisted  by  his  son  Eddy.  Eddy  is  a  chip  of  the 


82 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


DUNN  SAYS,  "WEIGHT  2,900." 

old  block,  and  can  be  depended  upon   never  to  let  the 
toadstools  grow  where  the  Koehler  stables  stand. 

About  this  time  Newgass  &  Sons,  who  were  in  busi- 
ness on  the  West  Side,  perceived  the  advantages  of  the 
stockyards  and  decided  to  identify  themselves  with  its 
future,  bringing  with  them  an  amount  of  sticktoative- 
ness,  acumen  and  genuine  business  ability  which  has 
helped  greatly  to  make  the  market  what  it  is.  The 
Newgasses  do  not  let  the  grass  grow  under  their  feet 
and  are  among  the  leaders  of  the  most  progressive 
and  enterprising  element  at  the  yards,  and  are  second 
to  none  in  the  vast  extent  of  business  handled.  Their 
buyers  are  particularly  instructed  to  get  the  breeders' 
best  produce,  especial  attention  being  paid  to  getting 


OF  THE  U3ION  STOCKYARDS 


83 


BELGIAN    BUYERS. 

the  younger  horses  fit  for  export  trade.  This  care  in 
selecting  has  attracted  the  attention  of  the  eastern 
"400,"  who  are  among  their  largest  purchasers.  Their 
combination  sales  of  high-class  horses  are  the  Mecca  of 
many  foreign  buyers,  and  the  firm  can  be  trusted  to 
maintain  the  standard  of  style  and  all-round  merit  in 
its  exportations. 

Close  upon  the  heels  of  Newgass  &  Sons  came  Wil- 
liam Locke.  M.  Locke  had  always  been  a  large  ship- 
per of  horses,  and  was  the  first  man  to  ship  a  carload  of 
horses  to  the  stockyards.  The  yards  were  a  familiar 
spot  to  him  and  he  was  a  well-known  figure  there,  and 
his  advent  as  a  commission  man  was  hailed  with  pleas- 


84  ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 

ure  by  a  host  of  friends.  Coming,  as  he  did,  when  the 
business  of  the  market  had  reached  a  high  notch,  he 
nevertheless  found  a  place  for  himself  ;and  his  executive 
ability,  his  keenness  and  never-tiring  activity  made 
him  a  valued  factor  in  the  personnel  of  the.  yards,  and 
placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the  great  firms.  He 
has  an  extensive  business  connection  and  acquaintance 


SOLD    ON  THE    SCALES. 

among  the  farmers  and  breeders,  and  is  fully  alive  to 
the  possibilities  of  the  market,  its  needs  and  promises. 
Unlike  many  eminently  successful  men,  Mr.  Locke  is  as 
popular  and  sociable  a  hail-fellow-well-met  as  any  man 
at  the  yards,  and  has  the  hearty  esteem  of  all  his  con- 
temporaries and  competitors. 

Another  popular  firm  is  Marsh  &  Kenyon.  This 
firm  makes  a  specialty  of  such  horses  as  are  in  demand 
among  eastern  and  foreign  buyers,  and  their  sales  are 


OF   THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS 


85 


GOOD  ONES  FOR  THE  EAST. 

always  well  attended.  Before  going  into  the  commis- 
sion business,  Mr.  Marsh  was  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful shippers  in  America,  the  same  day  seeing  consign- 
ments from  Leroy  Marsh  on  sale  in  four  widely  separated 
cities  of  the  Union.  No  better  advertisement  for  a  lot 
of  horses  could  be  devised  than  the  name  of  Marsh;  it 
stood  as  a  proof  of  merit  as  much  as  the  hallmark  on  a 
piece  of  English  silver  does.  The  other  member  of  the 
firm,  Mr.  Kenyon,  is  equally  prominent  in  his  sphere, 
an  active,  pushing,  persevering  man,  with  as  keen  a 
scent  for  business  as  the  grayhound  has  for  a  stag. 
The  two  men  make  excellent  working  partners,and  spare 
neither  time,  money  nor  effort  to  please  their  consign- 
ors and  customers. 

Ellsworth  &  McNair  is  another  prominent  firm,  a 
young  team,  so  to  speak,  which  will  make  a  record. 
They  are  workers,  and  sacrifice  brain  and  brawn  to  the 
cause  of  their  chosen  profession,  reducing  its  perplex- 


8(3 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


FOREIGN    BUYERS    LOOKING    AT   A    RARE    SORT. 

ities  and  anxieties  to  the  plane  of  the  A  B  C's  by  sheer 
force  of  push.  Success  is  not  gained  nowadays  without 
work,  and  the  work  of  these  young  men  has  told  to  an 
admirable  extent,  resulting  in  a  local  and  eastern  client- 
age than  which  no  firm  at  the  yards  has  a  more  ex- 
tensive one.  In  short,  they  are  a  couple  of  hustlers 
who  work  together  like  the  Siamese  twins. 

A  young  firm  of  equal  standing  is  that  of  Blair  & 
Evans,  the  partners  being  two  young  men  whose  insight 
into  the  country's  commercial  future  directed  them  to 
the  horse  market  as  the  most  promising  field  for  in- 
vestment. Messrs.  Blair  and  Evans  are  the  youngest 
commission  men  at  the  yards,  but  they  are  old  in  ex- 
perience and  their  success  is  already  enviable.  Their 
love  of  the  horse  and  their  understanding  of  him  as  a 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  87 


HORSES    FOR  EXPORT. 

commercial  commodity  leads  them  to  deal  only  in  the 
better  class  of  animals,  and  as  a  result  they  have  at- 
tracted much  attention  from  foreign  buyers  and  from 
buyers  for  the  East,  and  they  have  a  knack  of  mak- 
ing both  consignor  and  buyers  happy.  With  such  an 
object  in  view  it  is  needless  to  say  that  their  business 
is  on  the  increase,  their  receipts  frequently  amounting 
to  fourteen  carloads  weekly.  These  young  men  will 
make  a  high  mark  for  themselves  in  the  annals  of  the 
stockyards  and  of  the  commission  business. 

The  last,  but  by  no  means  the  least  (he  measures  six 
feet  five)  man  to  start  into  the  business  at  the  yards 
is  whole-souled  A.  0.  Elder.  Elder  is  a  true  type  of 
the  western  man,  and  what  he  does  not  know  about 
the  horse  and  horse  market  won't  tip  the  scale.  Ho 
already  employs  several  buyers  and  salesmen,  and  is 
ably  aided  in  conducting  his  growing  business  by 
that  well-known  judicial  personage,  Judge  James 
Blodgett.  His  stables  are  always  filled  with  fresh 


88 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


arrivals  and  are  a  rendezvous  for  buyers  in  search 
of  carriage  horses.  He  has  an  extensive  connection 
with  the  breeders  of  Illinois,  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  both 
Dakotas  and  nearly  all  the  states  of  the  West  and 
Northwest.  A.  0.  Elder  is  a  desirable  addition  to 
the  commission  merchants,  and  bis  stable  makes  an 
admirable  "capstone"  to  the  line  of  famous  stables 


FRESH   ARRIVALS. 

of  which  his  is  the  latest.  A.  O.  is  among  the  most 
candid,  good-natured  and  cheery  of  men,  and  has  al- 
ways a  bench  and  the  latch  string  out,  and  a  gathering 
of  pleasant  people  about  his  stable  door. 

Samuel  Cozzens,  the  superintendent  of  the  stockyards, 
is  a  splendid  example  of  what  energy  and  "push"  will 
do.  He  is  a  self-made  man  if  ever  there  was  one,  his 
present  fortune  being  wholly  the  result  of  his  own  labor 
and  economy.  He  is  also  a  director  of  the  Live  Stock 
Bank. 


OP   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  89 

Mr.  Cozzens  came  to  Chicago  about  1870,  with  an  in- 
domitable will  and  a  pair  of  hands  as  his  only  capital. 
He  went  up  to  the  stockyards  and  applied  for  a  position 
in  the  stables — any  kind  of  a  position  from  groom  to 
foreman.  The  person  to  whom  he  applied  looked  him 
over  from  head  to  foot  and  then  answered,  "You  can't 
go  to  work  here  in  those  clothes."  "No, "  replied  Coz- 
zens,  "but  I  can  get  other  clothes."  He  ,was  told  he 
might  try,  and  next  morning  appeared  bright  and  earl}' 
in  a  pair  of  overalls  and  a  jumper.  Ho  was  made  of 
the  right  metal  and  was  stable  boss  in  no  time. 

From  that  position  he  has  risen  rapidly  step  by  step 
until  the  present  time,  when  his  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
sponsible places  in  the  yards  He  is  a  worker  from 
early  morning  until  late  at  night  in  the  interests  of  the 
yards,  which  have  become  the  apple  of  his  eye,  as  it 
were.  The  machinery  of  his  department  runs  smoothly 
year  in  and  year  out,  BO  perfectly  does  he  plan  and 
general  it.  Fifteen  hundred  horses  go  in  and  out  almost 
daily  without  a  hitch  or  harsh  word. 

Much  of  the  success  of  the  horse  market  is  due  to  the 
exertions  of  Mr.  Cozzens.  He  is  a  very  quiet,  de- 
termined man,  with  plenty  of  grit,  and  is  a  good  reader 
of  human  nature.  If  ever  a  man  deserved  his  rise  from 
the  bottom  to  the  top  of  the  ladder,  Sam  Cozzens  does, 
He  has  not  stopped  rising  yet.  .and  will  be  heard  of  in 
the  future. 

This  is  the  galaxy  of  men  who  have  founded  a  horse 
market  beside  which  every  other  market  in  the  world 
is  insignificant.  They  combine  all  the  best  qualities 
of  the  modern  American,  enterprise,  energy  and  inde- 


90 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


fatigability,  backed  up  by  shrewdness,  sagacity  and 
foresight,  and  welded  together  by  that  sterling  quality 
which  is  an  attribute  of  all  the  best  men  of  all  conn- 
tries — manliness.  It  might  have  been  of  these  men 
collectively  that  Pope  said:  "An  honest  man  is  the 
noblest  *vork  of  God." 


NATIONAL    LIVE    STOCK    BANK    OF   CHICAGO. 


This  bank  is  an  institution  as  old  as  the  stockyards 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  91 

themselves,  in  which  it  is  located.  The  staff  of  officers 
includes  some  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  stockyards 
company,  being  composed  of  Levi  B.  Doud,  President; 
Geo.  T.  Williams,  Vice-President;  Roswell  Z.  Herrick, 
Cashier;  Gates  A.  Ryther,  Assistant  Cashier;  John  B. 
Sherman,  Levi  B.  Doud,  Irus  Coy,  Geo.  T.  Williams, 
Roswell  Z.  Herrick,  Nelson  Morris  and  Samuel  Cozzens, 
Directors. 

The  National  Live  Stock  Bank  commenced  business 
on  March  1,  1888,  as  successor  to  the  Union  Stock  Yard 
National  Bank.  This  institution  is  a  recognized  factor  in 
facilitating  the  operations  of  the  live  stock,  shipping, 
dressed  meat  and  packing  interests  of  the  country,  the 
magnitude  of  the  financial  transactions  involved  being 
shown  by  aggregate  deposits  of  over  $500,000,000  for 
the  year  1895.  Its  capital  is  $1,000,000  and  its  surplus 
$750,000. 


HARRY   AND    "NIGGER." 

WILD    HORSE    HARRY   AND   HIS   HORSE 
"NIGGER." 

IT  is  an  old  saw  that  "truth  is  stranger  than  fiction," 
though  the  votaries  of  the  realistic  schools  of  litera- 
ture who  decry  the  present  vogue  of  stirring  tales  of 
adventure  are  apparently  oblivious  to  this  fact — for  fact 
it  is,  as  well  as  proverb.  If  there  is  any  so-called  ro- 
mantic writer  who  can  out-class  by  imaginary  tales 
the  real  happenings  in  the  life  of  the  hero  of  this 
sketch,  then  we  are  ready  to  concede  that  he  has  the 
pen  of  a  ready  liar.  Nor  do  we  recall  any  defunct 
writer  who  dreamed  more  things  between  Heaven  and 
earth  than  are  yarned  of  by  this  wild-west  philosopher 
in  telling  the  true  life  story  of  himself  and  the  valiant 
"Nigger," — his  other  self — his  horse  1 

The  fame  of  Wild  Horse  Harry  has  already  spread 

92 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  93 

far  and  wide  over  this  continent,  and  at  least  as  far 
abroad  as  Buffalo  Bill's  show  has  traveled.  But  not 
every  one  knows  that  he  is  now  permanently  established 
at  the  Union  Stockyards,  in  a  unique  position. 

His  station  is  at  the  main  entrance  of  the  yards,  where 
he  may  almost  always  be  seen,  like  a  police  patrol.  It 
is  his  function  to  rope  or  lasso  any  stampeding  cattle 
whose  restless  spirit  prompts  thorn  to  break  guard  and 
run  wild,  which  happens  at  times,  and  lively  is  the 
chase  he  has  with  the  Wild  Texas  fellows  to  rope  them. 
But  this  is  only  fun  for  Harry  and  Nigger,  and  but  just 
serves  to  keep  their  muscles  limber,  for  Harry  is  as  full 
of  a  love  for  ventures  as  an  egg  of  meat,  and  as  fond  of 
Nigger  as — well,  as  fond  as  Nigger  is  of  him.  Big  old 
Nig  is  a  western  horse  whom  Harry  brought  from 
Montana  and  has  ridden  and  owned  from  a  four-year- 
old  colt.  Nig  is  black  in  color,  and  though  not  espe- 
cially handsome,is  wonderfully  intelligent  and  the  hero 
of  many  a  brave  and  daring  feat.  He  and  his  master 
have  been  friends  and  companions  in  all  sorts  of  weather 
and  all 'manner  of  "scraps"  for  many  years,  and,  says 
the  bold  ranger,  "Any  man  that  loves  a  horse  better 
than  I  do  has  got  to  eat  him, and  any  man  that's  spoil- 
ing for  a  fight — let  him  box  my  horse  1" 

Yet  dearly  as  he  loves  his  horse,  Harry  declares  he 
will  give  him  to  any  one  who  can  mount  him.  This 
seems  a  generous  offer  enough  until  you  learn  that  no 
one  can  back  Nig  except  his  master,  and  that  even  by 
him  the  horse  must  be  mounted  on  the  full  run,  or  not 
at  all.  Once  off,  he  goes  like  a  bird  and  looks  like  a  flash 
of  black  lightning.  No  cavalry  horse  can  approach 


94  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Nig  on  evolutions,  and  he  can  wheel  twice  while  any 
other  horse  can  turn  once.  It  is  a  thrilling  sight  even 
in  the  yards  to  see  the  ranger  and  his  horse  when  they 
round  up  loose  cattle,  and  perhaps  rope  and  tie  down 
the  refractory  ones.  Harry  does  not  carry  a  gun  here, 
and  can  fight  a  steer  without  one  if  he  gets  into  trouble. 

The  ranger's  real  name  is  H.  Clayton  Partlow,  and  he 
hails  from  the  Lone  Star  State,  having  been  born  on 
the  Rio  Grande,  some  four  decades  ago,  and  has  been 
in  the  saddle  from  a  young  child.  He  concerns  himself 
little  with  other  knowledge  than  that  pertaining  to 
horses  and  cattle,  and  these  he  knows  literally  "from 
the  ground  up."  In  appearance  he  is  smooth  faced  and 
youthful,  and  if  he  were  a  lady  he  would  doubtless 
plume  himself  on  being  "no  older  than  he  looks," 
which  is  about  twenty-five,  but  he  owns  to  forty  and 
one  years — and  they  seem  a  short  period  for  the  occur- 
ring of  so  many  adventures.  He  is  six  feet  in  the  stock- 
ings, weighs  190  pounds,  and  though  there  are  few  parts 
of  his  body  which  do  not  show  scars  of  knife  wounds 
or  bullet  marks,  and  the  startling  adventures  he  has 
been  engaged  in  make  one's  blood  run  cold,  yet  he  is  as 
harmless  as  a  baby  if  his  temper  is  not  ruffled. 

Though  so  at  home  on  horseback  and  so  handy  with 
the  gun  and  lasso  on  Nigger's  back,  he  is  equally  ready 
with  the  weapons  given  him  by  nature,  and  has  never 
yet  been  knocked  out  in  his  amateur  scraps,  not  to  men- 
tion one  or  two  private  matches  made  up  on  the  quiet 
with  a  well-known  cock  of  the  walk  at  the  yards. 

Harry  is  a  "bronco  buster,"  as  well  as  a  cow-boy,  and 
when  consignments  of  wild  horses  arrive  he  can  be  seen 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


giving  them  their  first  lesson,  and  they  are  like  India 
rubber  in  his  hands — you  see  them  and  you  don't  see 
them— ten  feet  in  the  air  and  a  bound!  But  Harry  is 
all  there  and  seems  as  if  glued  to  the  saddle. 

Wild  Horse  Harry  acquired  his  name  as  the  hero  of 
Wild  Horse  Canons,  in  Mitchell  County,  Texas.  These 
canons  are  miles  long,  and  have  so-called  "pockets1' 
where  wild  horses  harbored.  At  nights  a  wily  stallion, 
their  leader,  would  steal  out  and  run  off  stock  from  the 
ranchmen's  herds,  to  the  wrath  and  disgust  of  the 
owners.  Harry  was  very  successful  in  making  counter 
raids  and  reclaiming  stray  horses  of  different  brands  at 
so  much  a  head,  and  at  times  trapping  the  wild  horses 
also.  The  fly  stallion 
was  Harry's  favorite 
quest,  and  many  hours 
were  spent  in  trying  for 
a  look  at  him, and  at  last 
one  day  the  hunter 
caught  sight  o  f  the 
wily  herd-king.  Harry 
was  appointed  to  catch 
or  destroy  this  horse, 
but  on  his  errand  met 
with  an  accident  in 
the  canons  which  de- 
tained him  there  for 
weeks,  during  which  READY  FOB  BUSINESS. 
he  was  given  up  for  lost.  During  this  time  he  lay 
with  no  one  but  his  horse  for  companion,  and  living  on 
the  small  supply  of  jerked  buffalo  which  he  had  car- 


96  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

ried  with  him;  but  what,  to  the  ranger,  was  worse,  his 
clever  prey  escaped  him. 

The  wild  horse  hero  also  became  a  member  of  the 
famous  Texan  rangers,  a  body  of  picked  men  made  up 
of  the  best  and  boldest  in  the  state.  They  were  a  terror 
to  train  robbers;  mounted  on  the  gamiest  and  fleetest 
stock  in  the  Lone  Star,  and  armed  to  the  teeth,  these 
dauntless  riders  knew  no  fear,  would  ride  day  and 
night,  and  as  Harry  says,  "Ten  of  us  could  lick  200 
Indians."  They  were  organized  to  catch  horse  thieves 
and  "knights  of  the  road,"  and  had  authority  from  the 
state  to  shoot  a  criminal  on  sight.  They  guarded  trains, 
hunted  train  and  stage  robbers,  arrested  lots  of  men, 
and  have  about  cleared  that  country  of  its  desperate 
characters.  They  were  paid  by  the  state  and  are  still 
in  existence  as  a  body.  There  was  a  certain  grim  thor- 
oughness about  their  work  calculated  to  strike  due  ter- 
ror to  the  hearts  of  even  the  old-time  border  ruffians. 
For  example:  Hunting  stray  horses  one  day,  Harry 
found  five  men  hanging  up  in  a  pecan  tree  I  They  had 
been  stealing  horses.  Sometimes  hanging  alone  did  not 
satisfy  the  avengers,  and  once  in  hanging  some  horse 
thieves  in  South  Texas  in  1881  Harry  received  a  curious 
wound,  of  which  he  still  carries  the  scar.  The  thieves 
were  being  riddled  with  bullets  by  some  one  in  the  audi- 
ence, when  a  stray  bullet  struck  Harry  on  the  lip,  by  acci- 
dent. Harry  served  three  years  with  this  brave  band, 
under  their  leader,  the  redoubtable  Captain  Davis,  and 
had  many  "hair-breadth  'scapes"  and  hair-raising  ex- 
periences, and  some  almost  pathetic  ones.  Of  these  he 
tells  a  story  which  well  illustrates  the  soft  heart  of  the 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  97 

man  under  all  his  wild  courage  and  ranger  trappings. 
He  had  captured  a  well-known  desperado  of  the  most 
hardened  character — a  man-killer  and  horse  thief  for 
whose  capture  a  reward  of  $1,000  was  offered — who  had 
theretofore  successfully  eluded  justice;  but,  as  Harry 
says,  he  "was  on  to  him,"  and  took  him  in  a  dance  hall 
in  Fort  Worth.  But,  to  use  the  ranger's  phrase  again, 
he  "captured  a  white  elephant,"  meaning  that  when 
he  had  got  him  fast  he  did  not  know  what  to  do  with 
him,  because  of  the  pitiful  tale  of  the  bandit  about  his 
family.  This  touched  the  tender-hearted  ranger  through 
the  husk  of  legal  vengeance,  and  upon  the  bandit's 
word  of  honor  to  reform,  his  captor  good-naturedly  took 
his  guns  from  him  and  turned  him  loose.  There  must 
have  been  something  genuine  in  the  bandit's  plea  and 
in  the  man,  for  Harry  has  never  had  cause  to  regret  his 
mercy,  and  the  one-time  criminal  is  now  a  well-respect- 
ed citizen. 

Wild  Horse  Harry  can  give  you  the  separate  history 
of  each  of  his  many  scars  of  battle.  That  on  his  fore- 
hand, for  instance,  he  received  in  Pine  Ridge,  Dakota, 
fighting  with  a  half-breed;  while  the  fight  was  waging 
the  half-breed's  squaw  stuck  a  knife  into  his  hand  and 
arm.  The  one  on  his  forehead  grew  out  of  getting  up 
a  collection  for  something  or  other,  and  calling  on  a 
"bar-keep"  for  a  contribution  in  Deadwood,  in  1879, 
the  bar-keep  stirring  up  a  brawl.  And  so  forth. 

In  1888  Harry  was  on  the  range  in  Nebraska,  where 
also,  a  state  ranger  may  shoot  a  criminal  down  for  re- 
sistance. Here  he  had  a  very  sad  experience,  losing  a 
dear  friend  at  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  At  this  time 


98 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


the  Black  Hawks, 
Apaches,  and  Sioux 
roamed  in  hostile 
bands  about  the 
Northwest,  and  the 
ranger's  unfortunate 
friend  fell  a  victim 
to  savage  cruelty. 

"Pard  and  I," 
says  Harry,  "were 
rid  in'  across  a  Ne- 
braska trail  in  the 
dry  season,  and  in 
huntin'  for  water  HARRY  AND  HIS  OLD  FRIENDS. 

we  separated  and  got  lost."  Harry  tracked  back  on 
his  own  trail  to  where  he  and  his  friend  had  parted, 
and  then  he  followed  his  pard's,  but  he  had  not  gone 
far  when  he  found  the  poor  fellow  lying  lifeless  with 
his  scalp  off.  Then  Harry,  the  Wild  Horse  ranger, 
swore  a  great  oath!  and  packing  his  dead  comrade 
across  his  own  saddle  he  returned  to  the  nearest  camp, 
and  arming  himself  "to  the  guards"  he  went  forth, 
vowing  death  on  the  Apaches,  and  not  to  be  satisfied 
until  his  comrade  was  avenged.  Merely  to  say  that  he 
is  Wild  Horse  Harry  is  to  say  that  he  kept  his  word. 

In  direct  contrast  to  this  grim  side  of  the  bold  Tex- 
an's nature  is  his  life-saving  record,  which  is  no  less 
remarkable.  He  is  an  officer  of  the  Humane  Society, 
and  there  is  a  deal  of  the  humane  about  the  wild  rider, 
for  in  telling  the  story  of  his  poor  friend's  death  the 
great  tears  stood  upon  cheeks  that  blanch  not  in  the 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  UU 

face  of  danger  for  himself.  He  seems  to  "scent"  run- 
aways, and  but  a  short  time  ago  as  a  horse  and  buggy 
were  passing  from  Forty-second  to  Forty-seventh 
Street,  near  his  post,  at  runaway  speed,  Harry,  seeing 
the  flying  horse,  unbuckles  his  rope  far  quicker  than 
it  can  be  told,  gives  it  a  twist,  turns  it  loose,  throws — 
it  settles  down  easily  over  the  horse  and  gently  draws 
him  down  to  a  stand-still,  all  to  the  great  relief  and 
gratitude  of  the  frightened  woman  in  the  vehicle. 

On  another  occasion  Harry  was  following  along  the 
street  with  a  bunch  of  mules,  when  a  horse  drawing  a 
buggy  containing  a  woman  and  child  became  frightened 
at  the  mule  strappers  (the  long  whips  cracking  over  the 
backs  of  the  mules)  and  dashed  off,  to  the  threatened 
destruction  of  horse  and  humans.  But  quick  as  thought 
Harry  had  out  his  lasso,  and  sent  it  humming  over  the 
fractious  creature's  head.  It  threw  him  up,  turned  his 
head  where  his  tail  should  be  and,  as  it  proved,  broke 
his  neck,  but  saved  two  valuable  lives. 

Many  men  are  wearing  medals  for  bravery  and  mer- 
itorious deeds — but  by  the  same  token,  not  all  who  de- 
serve them  wear  them,  when  men  like  Wild  Horse  Harry 
go  uustarred.  But  in  this,  as  in  the  case  of  monuments, 
those  who  deserve  them  do  not  need  them,  and  bravery 
undecorated,like  "beauty  unadorned, "is  often  adorned 
the  most. 

To  return  to  the  same  thought  of  the  beginning.  If 
some  realist  desires  to  challenge  the  romantic  writers 
on  their  own  ground,  he  can  find  the  blood  and  thun- 
der, steel  and  musket,  sentiment  and  sorties,  all  ready 
to  his  hand  in  the  life  of  Wild  Horse  Harry — and  it 
would  make  a  big  book.  Here  is  a  chance  for  a"  veritist. " 


AMERICA'S  POPULAR  AUCTIONEER. 


JOHN  S.  BRATTON  was  born  in  Tyrone,  County  Downe, 
Ireland,  thirty-five  years  ago.  His  father,  grandfather 
and  great-gran  d 
father  were  horse- 
men before  him,  the 
former,  who  is  a  J. 
P.  and  G.  P.  L.,  and 
a  rare  type  of  the  old 
country  h  u  n  t  i  n  g 
squire,  still  occupy- 
ing the  old  home- 
stead, called  Hunters' 
Retreat,  which  has 
been  in  the  family 
for  over  200  years. 

Mr.     Bratton,      or 

Johnny    as    he    is  JOHNNY  BRATTON. 

commonly  called,  left 

the  parental  roof-tree  at  the  early  age  of  seventeen,  sail- 
ing with  some  good  old  Irish  steeplechase  horses,  which 
he  had  himself  trained  and  ridden,  for  New  Zealand.  In 
the  records  of  the  London  Sporting  Life  can  be  seen 
many  accounts  of  his  well  earned  victories  in  hard  rid- 
den races  over  four-mile  courses  in  the  face  of  obstacles 
which  would  have  daunted  many  an  older  rider,  proving 
the  skill  and  reputation  he  had  gained  even  at  that 

early  age. 

100 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  101 

Meeting  with  an  accident  in  New  Zealand,  in  which 
his  leg  was  broken,  he  returned  to  the  old  home.  The 
return  of  strength  saw  him  set  sail  for  America,  the 
land  of  the  brave  and  the  free.  His  career  in  this 
country  was  commenced  as  an  auctioneer  at  Tat- 
tersall's,  Philadelphia,  but  inducements  to  come  to 
this  city  presenting  themselves,  he  soon  found  himself 
in  the  great  Garden  City  of  the  globe. 

He  is  not  only  one  of  the  famous  auctioneers  of 
America,  but  is  a  most  thorough,  all-round  judge  of  a 
carriage  and  saddle  horse.  He  is  also  one  of  the  best 
four-in-hand  and  tandem  whips  on  the  western  conti- 
nent, being  a  familiar  and  welcome  figure  at  swell 
horse  shows.  From  those  exhibitions  he  has  carried 
away  with  him  enough  blue  ribbon  to  make  a  lady's 
dress,  trophies  which  are  now  displayed  in  the  "den"  of 
his  cozy  home.  His  reputation  as  a  buyer  is  widespread 
and  he  is  kept  busy  buying  and  selecting  horses  for  the 
eastern  elite,  beside  which  he  has  a  large  western  con- 
tingency of  customers. 

But.with  all  his  success  Johnny's  heart  has  remained 
as  big  as  a  bullock's,  and  with  all  his  travels  he  lovts, 
next  to  a  good  horse,  the  land  of  the  shamrock. 


MARY  THE  APPLE  WOMAN. 

EVERYBODY  knows  her;  she  is  fully  as  indispensable 
as  the  largest  stockholder  of  the  stockyards  company, 
and  a  good  deal  more  popular  than  anybody  else  con- 
nected with  the  yards.  Her  full  name  is  Mrs.  Mary 
Valanta,  but  she  has  been  Mary  for  short  so  long  that 
she  would  have  to  think  twice  before  recognizing  her- 
self as  Mrs.  Valanta. 


"MARY  THE  APPLE  WOMAN"  IN  HER  STAND. 

Originally  she  came  from  the  land  of  perpetual 
sunshine,  song  and  macaroni,  but  that  was  when  she 
was  a  nut-brown  "bimbo,  "and  now  her  only  relic  of  her 
native  soil  is  a  dulcet  accent  which  is  only  pronounced 
enough  to  suggest  that  she  is  a  countrywoman  of  Patti. 

Nineteen  years  ago  she  was  thrown  upon  her  own  re- 
sources, like  many  less  gifted  people,  and  with  a  basket 

102 


of  rosy  apples  on  her  arm  she  made  her  debut  at  the 
stockyards  as  Mary  the  apple  woman.  "Appul,  seer?" 
she  said  to  the  first  man  she  saw.  The  man  wasDayt. 
Gray,  and  the  sight  of  the  blushing  Baldwins  so  early 
in  the  morning  gave  him  a  taste  for  apples  which  he 
retains  to  this  da}7 — to  Mary's  profit.  Day  in  and  day 
out,  rain  or  shine,  snow  or  fine,  Mary  walked  from  pen 
to  pen,  from  stable  to  stable  and  from  office  to  office, 
repeating  the  magic  formula,  "Appul,  seer?"  which 
invariably  brought  a  nickel  or  dime  clinking  into  her 
capacious  pocket. 

Of  course  Mary  did  not  know  she  was  anything  but 
the  least  of  the  creatures  deriving  support  from  the 
great  stockyards,  but  her  cheerful  face,  glowing  wares 
and  persistent  industry  had  become  a  welcome  figure 
there,  indissolubly  associated  with  juicy  apples  held  be- 
fore a  man's  eyes  just  at  that  moment  between  break- 
fast and  lunch  when  an  apple  is  the  only  desirable 
addition  to  his  avoirdupois,  and  is  a  pleasant  foretaste 
of  the  coming  meal. 

John  B.  Sherman  stepped  out  of  his  office  one  Satur- 
day at  fifty-five  minutes  past  twelve  o'clock,  and  Mary 
appeared  before  him  with  an  especially  tempting  apple, 
newly  polished  with  her  apron  before  she  turned  the 
corner,  and  a  particularly  cheery  request  to  sell  it. 
John  B.  was  hungry,  and  it  occurred  to  him  that  a  wom- 
an who  knew  enough  to  be  on  hand  with  something  to 
eat  just  at  that  auspicious  moment  was  a  genius  deserv- 
ing of  the  gratitude  of  mankind.  Being  Saturday,  the 
yards  closed  at  one  o'clock,and  dropping  John  B.  's  nickel 
into  her  pocket  and  a  smiling  curtsy  to  John  B.,  Mary 


104  ILLUSTRATED    HISTOfcY 

trudged  homeward.  Sherman  looked  after  her  vanish- 
ing figure  and  experienced  another  inspiration  such  as 
came  to  him  when  he  decided  to  build  Chicago  a  stock- 
yard; and  calling  an  employe  to  him  he  said,  "Get  a 
carpenter  to  put  up  the  snuggest  fruit-stand  he  knows 
how,  right  near  this  entrance,  and  you  see  to  it  that  it's 
done  and  stocked  with  fruit  before  Monday  morning. 
And  when  Mary  comes  on  Monday  you  tell  her  it's 
hers." 

Sherman  having  touched  the  button,  the  employe 
did  the  rest,  and  thus  Mary  hasstood^in  her  own  little 
place  of  business,  and  dispensed  not  only  apples  but 
luscious  grapes  and  golden  oranges  to  a  large  and  grow- 
ing circle  of  steady  customers,  among  whom  are  cattle 
kings  and  millionaires  from  all  over  the  country.  And 
now  she  is  as  much  a  fixture  at  the  yards  as  John  B. 
Sherman  himself,  or  as  Phil  Armour,  George  F.  Swift  or 
John  H.Wood 

Mary  has  raised  and  educated  a  family  of  ten  children 
on  her  earnings,  and  now  has  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
two  of  her  daughters  holding  prominent  professional 
positions  in  the  city,  and  two  of  her  strapping  sons  well 
fixed  at  the  yards.  She  might  retire  from  business  now 
if  she  wished,  hut  she  looks  upon  the  stockyards  as  her 
home  and  every  one  in  it  as  one  of  her  family,  and 
would  no  more  think  of  leaving  it  than  she  would  of 
selling  anything  but  the  choicest  apples.  That  Mary 
may  live  long,  and  long  continue  to  grace  the  stockyards 
with  her  cheerful  face,  her  pleasant  word  and  rosy 
apples  is  the  unanimous  wish  of  every  frequenter  of 
the  yards. 


THE   HIGH-PRICED  AUCTIONEER  OF  AMERICA. 

DAVID   MACFEAT,    the  champion    high-priced    horse 
auctioneer  of  this  decade,  was  born  forty-three  years  ago 
in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  of  Scotch  parentage.  He  started 
on  his  brilliant  career 
at  the  callow   age  of 
seventeen,    se  1  1  i  n  g 
farms  in  his    native 
county,     his    buyers 
being  g  i  o  u  p  s  of 
shrewd  if  slow  farm- 
ers, who  were   given 
chronic    stitches     in 
the    side    by    Dave's 
jokes    on    the    block 
(the  block  was  usual- 
ly a  wagon,  but  that 
point  of  vantage  only 
sent  Dave's  wits  act- 
ing    the     faster    to  DAVE  MACFEAT. 
make   up   in    results  what  he  might  lose  in  dignity). 

For  seven  years  he  auctioneered  for  W.  D.Althouee 
of  Philadelphia,  gaining  experience  and  developing 
ability  with  phenomenal  rapidity.  He  sold  the  first 
horse  which  was  auctioned  by  Fish  &  Doer  of  New 

York,  and  opened  the  first  auction  sale  at  Richmond, 

105 


106  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Va.  He  DOW  sells  in  Buffalo,  New  York  and  Chicago, 
spending  one  day  of  each  week  in  each  place,  and 
practically  living  on  the  block  and  in  the  sleeper.  For 
this  arduous  labor  he  is  paid  $15,000  annually. 

He  has  the  enviable  reputation  of  pleasing  both  seller 
and  buyer,  a  task  which  many  auctioneers  relinquish 
unaccomplished  early  in  life,  laying  the  flattering  unc- 
tion of  great  achievement  to  their  souls  if  one  party  is 
satisfied.  But  then  Dave  is  a  suave  and  gentlemanly 
man,  whose  coolness  of  temper  would  put  to  shame  the 
proverbial  cucumber,  and  he  has  never  been  known  to 
be  angry. 

His  record  for  rapidity  of  sales  is  phenomenal.  In 
the  years  1894  and  1895  he  sold  between  85,000  and 
90,000  horses.  On  his  banner  day  in  Chicago  he  sold 
748  horses  in  eight  hours  and  four  minutes.  On  an- 
other occasion  he  sold  twenty-two  single  horses  in 
eight  and  one-fourth  minutes,  netting  the  shipper  a 
profit  of  $840.  He  can  sell  a  horse  for  a  good  price  as 
well  as  in  a  short  time  His  highest  priced  carriage 
horse  brought  $1,650,  a  carload  of  seventeen  carriage 
horses  bringing  $18,000.  At  his  worst  he  will  sell  a 
horse  a  minute  for  eight  hours  on  a  stretch,  his  voice 
and  his  energy  never  flagging,  and  his  temper  and  wit 
never  failing. 

He  can  crack  a  joke  and  take  one,  but  by  the  time 
the  farthest  away  of  his  auditors  has  commenced  to 
laugh  ha  has  made  half  a  dozen  sales.  The  shorthand 
writer  has  not  been  born  who  could  take  down  Dave 
Macfeat's  lightning  streaks  of  language  when  on  the 
block,  and  the  kinetoscope  would  be  silly  in  a  minute 
with  picturing  his  gestures. 


OF   THE   UNION  STOCKYARDS  107 

Off  the  block  Dave  is  a  hail-fellow-well-met  whose 
keen  brown  eye  has  always  a  cordial  twinkle  in  it  for 
every  man  and  woman  who  ever  bought  a  4iorse  of  him, 
and  whose  heart  keeps  its  warmest  corner  for  every 
friend  who  hasn't.  He  is  a  nearly  perfect  American 
edition  of  the  canny  Scot,  and  like  most  of  his  ances- 
tors, he  can  take  a  man  in  in  the  wink  of  an  eye  as  well 
as  he  can  a  horse.  Dave  is  known  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific,  and  is  as  popular  an  auctioneer  as  ever  got 
on  to  a  rostrum  to  cry,  "Gentlemen,  start  him  up! 
Whatwillyougivemeforhim?" 


DAN  MCCARTHY  AND  HIS  GOATS. 

A  THRIVING  industry  carried  on  at  the  stockyards, 
though  not  formally  "set  down  in  the  bond,"  is  that 
of  Mr.  Daniel  McCarthy,  who  is  in  the  goat  business. 
Daniel  is  a  very  nice,  respectable  old  Irish  gentleman 
(and  a  bachelor),  who  breeds,  buys  and  sells  Angora  and 
native  goats,  at  prices  ranging  from  three  dollars  to  ten 
dollars  each.  He  supplies  quite  a  rushing  demand  for 
these  festive  animals  for  children's  carriages,  and  he 
has  a  number  of  Polish,  Greek  and  Arab  customers  who 
have  other  uses  for  Billy,  the  goat.  The  Poles  use 
them  for  their  milk,  and  the  Greeks  and  Arabs  esteem 
their  flesh  highly  for  food. 

A  great  many  ladies  call  upon  Dan  upon  the  pretense 
of  wanting  goats,  but  in  truth  it  is  only  to  see  and  talk 
to  him.  Dan  is  all  right,  and  the  greatest  trouble  he 
has  is  to  evade  that  stupid  assessor  we  wot  of  who  can 
make  no  distinction  between  live  stock  and  real  estate, 
and  insists  on  taxing  him  at  so  much  per  "front  foot" 
for  all  "property  found  a-boundin'  and  a-buttin'  on 
the  strate."  Long  may  Mr.  McCarthy  and  his  busi- 
ness wax  fat  and  prosper  1 

108 


DRESSING  LAMB  AND  MUTTON  AT  THE  STOCK- 
YARDS. 

IT  is  probable  that  few  people  know  that  there  are  a 
dozen  or  more  different  styles  of  dressing  lambs  for  the 
different  markets  of  the  United  States  alone,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  styles  in  vogue  for  the  foreign  market. 
There  are  sixteen  stages  in  the  dressing  of  the  carcass, 
but  up  to  the  time  when  the  pelt  is  removed  the  differ- 
ences in  the  styles  of  dressing  are  not  apparent.  To  the 
layman  it  is  likely  that  these  differences  of  style  will 
appear  a  mere  distinction  without  a  difference,  or  per- 
haps the  difference  between  tweedledee  and  tweedledum, 
but  to  the  initiated  the  differences  are  as  obvious  and 
as  important  as  the  difference  between  half  a  dozen 
dozens  and  six  dozen  dozens. 

In  the  great  rooms  of  the  dressing  department  nearly 
200  men  and  boys  move  about  their  task  without  con- 
flict and  without  confusion.  Each  of  these  men  and  boys 
are  skilled  only  in  one  infinitesimal  part  of  the  process 
of  dressing  the  animal,  but  by  countless  repetitions  in 
the  practice  of  that  one  fragment  of  knowledge  they 
have  each  become  so  expert  that  in  an  incredibly  few 
minutes  after  the  lamb  bleated  softly  in  the  pens  below 
it  is  hung  in  the  great  cooler  ready  dressed  for  one  of 
many  markets. 

Some  parts  of  the  work  take  longer  than  others,  and 
the  number  of  men  apportioned  to  each  is  such  that 

1C9 


110  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

the  carcass  will  be  kept  moving  on,  or  will  receive  its 
proper  attention  all  the  time. 

The  first  step  in  the  dressing,  following  the  sticking, 
is  breaking  the  toes,  and  right  at  this  point  is  one  pe- 
culiarity in  style,  for  in  the  shipping  lamb  and  Nor- 


DRESSING    LAMBS. 

wich  dress  the  hind  toes  are  left  on.  One  man  attends 
to  this,  and  he  can  treat  from  450  to  500  carcasses  an 
hour.  If  they  are  lambs  they  break  at  what  is  known 
as  the  lamb  joint,  but  by  the  time  they  have  become 
sheep  the  bones  at  that  spot  have  knit,  and  the  break 
is  made  at  the  next  lower  joint. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  111 

Four  men,  called  the  fore-quarter  leggers,  stand 
close  by  to  seize  the  animal  and  skin  the  parts  of  the 
carcass  indicated  by  their  name.  The  breast  pullers, 
five  in  number  and  next  in  line,  remove  the  skin  from 
the  breast.  A  boy  performs  a  similar  operation  on  the 
jaws.  The  toes  are  then  cut  off  by  another  boy. 

The  carcass  has  now  reached  a  group  of  men  who 
take  the  skin  off  the  right  hind  leg,  and  it  immediately 
goes  into  the  hands  of  five  other  operators  who  do  the 
same  on  the  left  hind  leg.  Next  nine  men  "face"  the 
sheep,  or  take  the  skin  oft"  the  belly,  while  the  back 
pullers  finally  remove  the  skin  entirely  from  the  body, 
and  do  it  in  a  twinkle.  A  number  of  boys  with  a 
sharp  knife  let  the  heart's  blood  out.  A  man  then  comes 
along  who  splits  the  breast  open  with  the  aid  of  a  knife 
and  heavy  mallet. 

Three  wipers  for  the  front  and  as  many  for  the  back 
of  the  carcass  cleanse  it  as  it  is  still  suspended  from 
the  hook,  and  they  ai'e  followed  by  the  six  men  who 
cut  out  the  entrails  and  save  the  cauls.  The  caul  is 
the  fat  off  the  belly.  It  is  dressed  on  the  lamb  and 
on  its  arrangement  depend  some  of  the  variations  in 
fashions  of  dressing,  as  also  does  "setting"  the  lamb, 
which  is  one  of  the  last  operations  in  dressing.  The 
"set"  is  a  small  stick  of  wood,  pointed  at  both  ends, 
and  is  used  to  keep  the  carcass  in  shape  after  it  is 
dressed  and  ready  for  market,  as  we  see  it  in  the  butch- 
ers' shops.  For  all  but  the  "Boston  lambs,"  two  sets, 
or  sticks,  are  used.  The  Bostonese  prefer  but  one  stick 
in  their  lamb.  The  "sets"  are  laid  flatwise  diagonally 
across  the  small  of  the  back,  and  the  flesh  along  the 
front  edge  is  turned  back  and  pierced  by  the  "sets." 


112  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

The  finishing  touches  are  made  by  the  men  who  put 
on  the  cauls.  It  is  pinned  on  the  carcass  with  skewers, 
and  holes  are  cut,  through  which  the  kidneys  are  al- 
lowed to  drop  outside.  Like  silk  or  satin  fabrics,  the 
caul  has  a  right  and  a  wrong  side,  as  it  were.  The 
veined,  or  smooth  side,  is  out,  as  distinguished  from 
others,  when  dressed  in  the  Boston  and  Philadelphia 
styles.  Not  only  does  the  Boston  epicure  require  that  the 
points  already  spoken  of  shall  be  rigidly  observed  in  the 
dressing  of  his  meat,  but  he  also  insists  that  the  ribs 
be  cut.  That  is,  they  are  cut  about  two  inches  and  a 
half  from  the  ends  and  laid  back  with  the  flesh.  In 
addition  to  having  the  veined  side  outward,  the  Phila- 
delphia lamb,  as  a  distinguishing  mark,  has  its  forelegs 
"pinned  up,"  which  means  that  these  legs  are  bent  up 
at  the  knee  joint  and  caught  and  held  there  by  a  cord 
of  the  leg,  exposed  for  the  purpose. 

The  Norwich  lamb,  as  has  already  been  said,  is  not 
bereft  of  its  hind  toes,  and  it  has  another  unique  feature 
in  that  the  caul  is  not  put  on.  The  regular  shipping 
lamb,  which  goes  almost  everywhere,  is  merely  the 
name  of  a  style  of  dressing,  and  is  otherwise  known  as 
the  Washington  market  lamb.  The  latter  term  is  ap- 
plied to  the  poorer  qualities.  The  shipping  lamb,  then, 
has  the  breast  cut  partly  through  and  the  caul  is 
placed  across  the  belly,  with  the  usual  two  sets  across 
the  back.  In  all  cases  except  the  Springfield  and  New 
York  and  Baltimore  lambs  the  thin  end  of  the  caul  is 
wrapped  about  the  legs,  but  in  these  three  styles  the 
arrangement  is  just  the  reverse.  The  New  York  lamb 
has  its  ribs  cut,  and  the  people  of  that  state  have  seen 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  118 

that  its  toes  shall  not  be  left  on,  when  marketed,  by 
passing  laws  to  that  effect 

A  display  of  originality  is  seen  with  regard  to  the 
"Providence"  lamb  in  the  dressing  of  the  caul  across 
the  back  instead  of  the  front  of  the  carcass.  Its  ribs 
are  also  cut.  A  lamb  which  is  treated  precisely  the 
same  way  goes  to  the  table  of  the  Newport  sojourner 
under  the  name  of  "Newport"  lamb. 

The  Milwaukee  style  differs  from  the  shipping  lamb 
from  the  fact  that  the  breast  is  cut  entirely  through, 
causing  the  ribs  to  spring  back  and  making  a  cavity 
with  a  wider  opening. 

The  "straight  sheep"  or  ordinary  fashion  of  dressing 
sheep  has  no  "set"  on  the  back,  only  a  belly  set,  a 
short  piece  of  lath  inside  the  carcass  to  keep  it  open 
and  cool.  The  forelegs  are  caught  up  at  the  knee  and 
held  by  a  cord  of  the  leg  as  in  the  case  of  the  Philadel- 
phia lamb.  The  ribs  are  not  cut.  The  New  York  year- 
ling is  another  style  of  dress,  this  animal  being  broken 
at  the  "lamb  joint."  Its  characteristic  features  are  the 
two  sets  across  the  back  and  the  absence  of  the  caul. 

The  names  of  these  styles  of  dress  generally  indicate 
the  locality  in  which  the  lamb  or  mutton  is  marketed. 
The  shipping  lamb,  however,  goes  almost  everywhere 
in  the  United  States  except  to  Boston,  New  York  or 
Philadelphia.  Thirty  per  cent  represents  the  New  York 
style  and  twenty  the  Boston,  while  ten  will  cover  all 
other  fashions.  There  is  a  Baltimore  style  of  dressing 
lambs,  but  it  is  little  heeded  by  the  western  killers, 
and  the  shipping  lamb  is  sent  in  its  place.  The  real 
Baltimore  lamb  is  dressed  with  one  set  across  the  back, 


114  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

like  the  Boston  lamb,  only  the  ribs  are  uncut  and  the 
thick  end  of  the  caul  is  around  the  hind  legs. 

Custom,  fashion  and  fancy  have  established  all  these 
styles  in  the  matter  of  dressing  lamb  and  mutton,  and 
there  appears  to  be  no  other  reason  for  them,  but  they 
are  none  the  less  carefully  observed  by  the  shippers,  who 
find  it  to  their  interest  to  observe  the  idiosyncrasies  of 
the  consumer. 


,       "BILL." 

ANDY  RILEY  and  Tim  Gleason  are  partners  in  the  sheep 
business  at  the  stockyards,  and  owing  to  a  curious  sort 
of  tripartite  agreement  they  have  with  their  silent  part- 
ner, they  are  likely  to  remain  so  as  long  as  he  is  suffi- 


MIXTNG  UP  WITH    THE    "PUSH.  " 

ciently  able-bodied  to  follow  his  present  occupation  of 
"separating  the  sheep  from  the  goats."  For  this  curi- 
ous individual  will  not  follow  either  of  his  co-partners 
unless  the  other  is  along. 

"Bill"  is  an  immense,  white  Cotswold  sheep,  weigh- 
ing about  200  pounds,  and  of  very  forbidding  visage 

115 


11.6 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


and  haughty  demeanor.  No  liberties  may  be  taken  with 
his  dignity  ship,  and  the  slickest  "con"  man  of  them  all 
could  make  no  headway  with  Bill,  for  nothing  could  in- 
duce him  to  acknowledge  any  "friend  from  the  coun- 
try,1' however  winning,  for  he  will  not  make  friends 
with  any  one,  It  is  his  duty  to  assist  his  masters  in 


ATTENDING    TO    HIS    AFFAIRS. 

loading  and  unloading  sheep  by  leading  them  from  and 
to  the  pens  and  freight  cars.  This  one  thing  he  does, 
and  does  it  well,  and  shows  the  value  of  concentration, 
As  soon  as  his  work  of  guiding  to  a  car  is  done,  Mr. 
Billy  slyly  slips  to  one  side,  and  "steps  down  and  out;" 
no,  danger  of  his  being  carried  away  or  "getting  on  the 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  117 

wrong   car" — no   indeed!   Bill    is   too  sharp  for  that. 

When  he  has  a  drove  to  deploy  from  the  car  he 
marches  in  among  them,  mixes  up  with  the  "push"  a 
few  minutes,  just  to  calm  their  fears,  and  then  trots 
away,  the  gang  most  obediently  following  in  his  wake. 
Bill  doesn't  mind  water,  and  though  most  sheep  are  as 
averse  to  "aqua  pura"  as  a  Kentucky  colonel,  Bill  makes 
small  account  of  that,  but  dashes  through  the  puddles 
and,  willy-nilly,  the  rest  must  take  their  medicine. 
Once  at  the  pen,  he  leaves  them  and  goes  on  attending 
to  his  affairs.  Sometimes  a  fresh  urchin  or  two  who 
have  not  tested  Bill's  temper  will  try  some  funny  busi- 
ness on  him,  but  never  for  long.  He  forms  himself 
into  a  hollow  square,  draws  up  in  line  of  battle,  and 
goes  into  action  with  a  gi<ap3-and-caniater  sort  of 
charge  calculated  to  discourage  the  enemy  at  an  early 
stage  of  the  fight,  and  the  fly  urchin  soon  gets  enough 
— if  not  too  much — of  this  fray. 

Andy  and  Tim,  Bill's  joint  owners,  are  both  single 
men  and  right  good  fellows  Up  to  date  neither  has 
been  captured,  so  far  as  known,  by  any  bloomered  leap- 
year  girl.  Perhaps  even  these  brave  Amazons  hesitate 
a  little  before  daring  the  necessary  ordeal  of  asking 
Bill's  permission  to  pay  their  addresses  to  his  so-called 
masters. 


KOSHER  KILLING. 

IT  is  well  known  that  the  Jews  will  not  eat  meat 
which  has  been  killed  by  the  ordinary  method  of  slaugh- 
tering, but  that  Jewish  butchers  maintain  a  "kosher- 


THE  KOSHERMAN   AND    HIS  VICTIMS. 

man"  at  the  stockyards  to  kill  cattle  intended  for  the 
Jewish  markets,  is  not  so  well  known.  Besides  the 
kosherman  there  is  also  in  constant  attendance  a  rabbi 
to  see  that  every  step  of  the  kosher  killing  is  performed 
with  exactness,  and  that  cleanliness  is  preserved  through- 
out. In  fact,  the  Hebrew  word  "kosher"  means  clean, 
and  "kosherman,"  it  will  be  seen,  is  a  hybrid  produced 
by  tacking  the  English  word  to  the  Hebrew. 
The  animal  is  thrown  upon  its  back,  is  shackled  by 

118 


THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS  119 

the  hind  legs,  and  with  a  razor-sharp  knife  the  kosher- 
man  cuts  the  throat  with  a  forward  thrust.  Even  the 
cutting  is  regulated  by  rule,  the  knife  describing  a 
stroke  and  a  half — a  full  stroke  forward  and  a  half  stroke 
backward.  Should  the  kosherman  miss  his  aim  and 
vary  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  prescribed  rule  in  making 
the  forward  stroke,  the  bullock  is  condemned  and  sold 
to  any  one  who  will  take  it  for  anything  he  will  pay. 

There  is  not  in  Chicago  a  solitary  butcher,  Jew  or 
gentile,  who  understands  the  anatomy  of  the  animal  so 
exactly  as  to  be  able  to  draw  the  veins,  and  as  the  Jews 
will  not  eat  the  veinous  parts  of  the  meat  the  hind 
quarters  and  all  like  portions  are  not  sold  to  the  Jew- 
ish meat  markets.  In  fact,  the  Jews  abhor  blood,  and  it 
is  for  that  reason  that  the  animal  is  cut  instead  of  be- 
ing knocked  on  the  head  with  a  sledge.  The  carcass  is 
subjected  to  a  rigid  examination,  called  "seerche, "  and 
should  a  bit  of  tissue  be  found  on  the  lung,  as  is  often 
the  case,  from  contraction  after  exposure  to  cold,  should 
the  lung  adhere  to  the  wall  of  the  chest,  should  nails 
be  found  in  the  paunch,  or  should  there  be  an  abscess 
anywhere,  the  meat  is  condemned  as  unfit  for  food.  It  is 
needless  to  add  that  the  hog  is  and  always  has  been 
deemed  unfit  for  the  table  of  a  Jew. 

After  the  killing  the  meat  hangs  four  or  five  days, 
and  every  day  the  rabbi  washes  it  thoroughly.  After 
that  he  affixes  his  mark,  a  group  of  Hebrew  characters 
which  signify  that  the  meat  is  fit  for  food  for  his  race. 

The  reformed  Jews  do  not  require  that  the  meat 
shall  be  blessed,  but  that  ceremony  is  performed  by 
the  rabbi  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  orthodox  Jews,  of 
whom  he  is  one. 


120  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

The  preparations  made  for  the  slaughter  are  elaborate. 
A  knife  of  Damascus  steel,  sixteen  inches  long,  only 
may  be  used,  and  when  not  in  use  is  kept  carefully 
sheathed.  Should  a  nick  the  size  of  a  pinhead  be  made 
in  the  blade  the  rabbi,  who  examines  it  before  the  kill- 
ing of  every  steer,  orders  it  to  be  ground  before  use,  for 
fear  that  some  contagious  matter  may  adhere  to  the 
rough  edge. 

There  is  no  race  of  people  on  earth  so  immaculately 
cleanly  in  preparing  food  as  the  Jews.  No  matter  how 
poor  a  Jewish  family  nor  how  filthy  their  habits  in 
other  respects,  their  cuisine  is  neat  as  the  proverbial 
wax.  This  is  the  result  among  the  orthodox  Jews  of 
religious  tenets,  while  among  the  reformed  Jews  clean- 
liness is  maintained  for  sanitary  reasons,  the  Mosaic 
code  being  interpreted  by  them  as  a  set  of  sanitary 
laws  originating  at  a  period  of  the  world's  history  when 
cleanliness  was  not  generally  regarded  as  necessary  to 
godliness. 


JIMMY  NORTON  AND  HIS  DOG  "HARRY." 

COLUMNS  and  pages  have  been  written  about  Harris' 
dog  Boz,  but  Harry  is  a  subject  of  unwritten  history. 
Jimmy  Norton  may  be  technically  termed  a  herder,  and 
his  partner  in  business  is  Harry.  There  is  not  a  more 
industrious  nor  conscientious  every-day  worker  at  the 
yards  than  Harry,  and  every  day  the  partners  may  be 
seen  at  work  from  early  morning  until  late  at  night 
driving  cattle  from  the  yards  to  outside  slaughter- 
houses. That  sounds  a  simple  business  enough,  but  it 
requires  never  relaxing  alertness  andnirnbleness  on  the 
part  of  both  man  and  dog,  and  affords  many  chances 
for  the  display  of  dog  wit  in  particular  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  Harry  is  a  collie;  110  other  could  have  ac- 
quired so  much  cattle  wisdom. 

When,  at  sharp  half  past  twelve  every  day,  the  gates 

121 


122  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

of  a  pen  are  thrown  open,  Jirnmy  gallops  up  on  his 
pony  and  rides  away  at  the  head  of  the  herd  of  out- 
coming  steers  to  the  weigh  scales.  Harry  has  taken  his 
post  beside  the  gate,  and  quietly  waits  until  the  very 
last  of  the  animals  is  out,  when  he  slips  up  behind  them 
and  drives  them  off  in  the  wake  of  Jim,  who  heads  his 
herd  from  scale  to  scale  and  finally  out  to  the  slaugh- 
ter house.  During  all  the  maneuvers  of  repeated  turn- 
ings, weighings  and  divisions,  Harry's  ears  are  pricked 
up  and  his  eyes  glance  quickly  from  side  to  side  to  eee 
that  no  steer  escapes.  He  needs  no  cue  to  do  the  right 
thing  at  the  right  time,  and  Jim  himself  is  less  quick  to 
see  signs  of  a  steer's  intention  to  bolt  than  Harry  is. 
But  should  it  be  dark  and  a  bullock  succeed  in  slipping 
out  of  the  bunch  to  another  herd,  Harry  does  nothing 
but  glance  at  his  master,  as  much  as  to  say,  "Never 
mind,  I'll  find  him  in  the  morning."  He  is  as  good  as 
his  word,and  next  morning  is  on  hand  brighter  and  ear- 
lier than  usual,  and  without  a  word  of  reminder  from 
anybody  scents  out  the  stray  bullock  from  a  pen  full 
of  steers  as  nearly  alike  as  the  peas  in  apod,  and  quick- 
ly heads  him  into  the  right  pen. 

There  is  an  ordinance  existing  which  prohibits  the 
drivir.g  of  cattle  through  the  downtown  streets  between 
the  hours  of  eight  in  the  morning  and  six  in  the  evening. 
But  it  sometimes  happens  that  a  herd  of  cattle  must  be 
transferred  from  the  stockyards  to  some  downtown 
slaughter  house  during  those  very  hours.  The  difficulty 
to  be  overcome  is  that  whoever  drives  the  cattle  will  be 
arrested  for  violating  the  law.  That  is  where  Harry 
comes  in.  The  cattle  are  driven  out  of  the  yards  with 


OF   THE   UNION   STOCKYARDS  128 

Harry  at  their  heels,  while  two  or  three  herdsmen  on 
ponies  ride  along  through  the  alleys  running  parallel' 
with  the  street  on  which  the  herd  is.  Harry  lacks  nothing 
in  intellect,  and  only  wants  a  human  form  to  be  capable 
of  discharging  the  duties  of  citizenship,  but  as  the  out- 
raged policemen  don't  know  that,  they  cannot  arrest 
him.  As  he  can  be  trusted  to  take  care  of  his  end  of 
the  line,  all  the  herdsmen  have  to  do  is  to  keep  the  steers 
from  bolting  farther  than  the  alleys,  and  so  cattle  are 
safely  transferred  through  the  city,  ordinances  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding. 

Sometimes  they  are  city  cattle  which  must  be  trans- 
ferred— that  is,  cattle  which  have  been  raised  in  the  city 
and  sold  to  the  stockyards,  and  resold  to  some  slaugh- 
ter house — and  then  were  it  not  for  Harry  there  would 
be  trouble.  Ten  chances  to  one  a  cow  raised  in  the  city 
as  soon  as  she  finds  herself  on  the  street  bolts  for  her 
old  home.  She  is  so  homesick  and  determined  to  get 
there  that  neither  Harry  nor  any  other  collie  could  head 
her  off,  and  the  best  he  can  do  is  to  track  her  to  her 
home,  and  as  soon  as  possible  return  to  the  yards  for  a 
herdsman  to  accompany  him  to  the  cow's  place  of 
refuge.  There  is  no  man  in  the  yards  so  stupid  when 
he  sees  Harry  bound  in  late  at  night  after  such  a  chase 
as  not  to  know  that  all  he  has  to  do  next  morning  is  to 
mount  his  horse  and  be  led  directly  to  the  runaway, 
when  she  will  be  brought  back  in  triumph. 

These  are  only  some  of  Harry 'sduties,but  these  alone 
render  him  an  indispensable  member  of  the  stockyards 
staff,  and  assure  him  of  a  life-long  job,  and,  perhaps, 
a  pension  for  faithful  service  when  his  usefulness  is  over. 


124  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

For  Harry  is  no  longer  young,  as  the  gray  hair  around 
his  eyes  will  testify,  although  he  is  so  active  when  on 
duty  that  you  would  never  guess  his  age.  He  is  not  a 
sociable  dog,  and  if  you  should  learn  the  number  of 
winters  which  have  passed  over  his  head  you  would 
jump  to  the  conclusion  that  he  is  irascible  from  old  age, 
but  such  is  not  the  case,  for  he  has  never  been  a  hail- 
collie-well-met  at  any  period  of  his  life.  He  does  not 
fraternize  with  the  other  dogs  in  the  yards,  and  does 
not  make  friends  with  man  or  beast.  Should  you  at- 
tempt to  pat  him  the  sign  "hands  off"  may  be  read  in 
every  bristling  hair,  and  if  you  do  not  heed  it  it  will 
be  emphasized  by  a  growl  and  snap.  Jimmy  alone  may 
caress  him,  and  only  Jimmv's  voice  will  he  obey. 
When  Jimmy  and  Harry  are  not  busy  they  may  be  found 
at  the  Exchange  Building,  Jimmy  talking  and  Harry 
stretched  on  the  floor,  his  head  on  his  paws  and  his  eyes 
on  his  master,  taking  in  every  expression  of  his  face. 
When  the  master's  face  takes  on  the  "on  duty"  ex- 
pression, Harry  springs  up,  and  when  Jimmy  mounts 
his  horse  he  cavorts  around  the  pony's  legs  with  an 
amount  of  frisky  glee  which  proves  that  in  his  case 
all  work  and  no  play  has  not  made  Jack  a  dull  boy. 
Harry  has  no  parlor  tricks;  he  can't  shake  hands, 
nor  jump  through  a  hoop  nor  beg — and  wouldn't  if  he 
could — but  for  all-round  smartness  on  cattle  we  recom- 
mend you  to  Harry,  as  grand  and  intelligent  a  speci- 
men of  the  collie  breed  as  ever  heeled  a  bullock  into 
line,  or  headed  a  flock  of  sheep. 


EVOLUTION  OF  CATTLE. 

THE  law  of  the  survival 
of  the  fittest  holds  good 
in  every  kingdom — min- 
eral, vegetable,  animal. 
What  was  the  fittest  a  few 
years  ago  is  unfit  now, 
THE  FOUR-YEAR-OLD.  antj  jn  accordance  with 

this  law  of  shifting  necessities  we  find  that  within 
our  memory  the  whole  gamut  of  cattle  has  been  run 
through  in  supplying  the  larder  with  beef.  Short- 
horns, Holsteins  and  the  Texas  steer  have  each  had 
their  day  to  shine,  or  rather  to  tickle  the  palates  of 
people  and  princes.  But  with  the  change  of  conditions 
regulating  profits  each  of  these  has  passed  out  in  turn, 
and  now  the  stock  breeder  will  have  none  of  them. 
Indeed  the  Texas  steer,  by  inbreeding  with  successive 
fashionable  breeds,  is  quickly  following  the  tracks  of 
the  buffalo  to  complete  extinction. 

Not  many  years  ago  the  ponderous  steer  bred  on  the 
western  prairies  was  the  best  selling  beef  animal  in  the 
world.  He  was  wanted  by  exporters,  by  butchers,  by 
cattle  connoisseurs  and  by  gourmands.  To  be  in 
prime  condition  he  must  be  four  years  old  and  weigh 
from  1600  to  2000  pounds.  Many  fine  bunches  of 
such  steers  have  been  marketed  at  Chicago,  exhibited 
at  fat  stock  shows  and  then  sent  across  the  seas  to  grace 

125 


126  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

the  table  of  my  lord,  inein  herr  and  monsieur  le  due. 
But  times,  conditions  and  cattle  change,  and  the  once 
highly-rated  big  steer  is  no  longer  profitable. 

The  demand  now  is  for  a  younger  and  fatter  animal, 
something  through  which  the  porcelain  teeth  of  the 
age  can  sink  without  effort.  To  be  highly  prized  and 
priced  this  young  animal  should  be  two  years  old,  or 
under,  should  weigh  1000  pounds,  must  have  been  fed 
for  the  market  from  the  day  he  was  calved,  and  should 
be  a  Polled  Angus  or  a  Hereford  (as  they  dress  more) 
to  please  the  buyer.  The  more  blood  he  has  in  him  of 
these  now  fashionable  breeds  and  the  sooner  after  birth 
he  is  in  condition  to  put  on  the  market  the  better  for 
the  profits  of  the  breeder. 

The  profits  of  the  breeder  on  this  steer  are  greater  than 
on  the  old  style  four-year-olds.  The  two-year-old  ma- 
tures sooner,  sets  fat  quicker — and  the  better  his  blooo 
the  quicker  he  fattens — and  while  he  weighs  about 
thirty  per  cent  less  than  his  predecessor,  his  cost  per 
pound  is  much  less  also.  The  breeder  has  the  expense 
of  his  feed  and  care  for  only  half  the  time  he  had  his 
predecessor's,  one  item  in  cost  of  raising  which  more 
than  compensates  for  his  lesser  weight.  It  is  the  breed- 
er's maxim  that  the  quicker  an  animal  can  be  put  in 
condition  for  the  block  the  greater  the  proportionate 
profits.  Good  breeding,  careful  feeding  and  early  ma- 
turity are  very  essential  to  success  in  cattle  breeding. 
It  is  well  for  the  breeder  to  remember  that  competition 
is  sharper  and  prices  lower  and  that  economy  in  those 
items  of  greatest  cost,  food  and  time,  should  be  consid- 
ered in  meeting  the  demands  of  the  market.  A  steei 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  127 

can  be  fed  to  a  weight  of  1000  pounds  cheaper  than 
one  can  be  fed  to  a  weight  of  2000  pounds,  and  while 
the  immediate  profit  is  smaller  it  will  come  quicker. 
Again,  the  profit  on  two  well  bred  two-year-olds  is 
larger  than  on  one  of  the  old  style  four-year-olds. 

This  argument  presupposes  that  the  breeder  has  a 
good  animal  to  start  on.  Scrubs  pay  poorly  at  best,  and 
often  do  not  pay  at  all,  to  say  nothing  of  those  which 
are  a  clear  loss.  The  price  of  the  coarse  grains  and  feed 
stuffs  is  low,  but  to  feed  it  to  a  poor  animal  is  almost 
like  putting  salt  in  a  sieve,  while  to  feed  it  to  one  of 
good  blood  is  to  use  ycur  five  talents  to  make  five  other 
talents  Beside  these  considerations  the  farmer  will 
have  had  the  additional  great  advantage  of  a  supply  of 
manure  which  will  bring  very  tangible  profits  in  in- 
creased crops. 


THE     TWO-YEAR-OLD. 


HUMAN  NATURE  AT  THE  COW  MARKET. 

OPIE  READ  missed  a  chance  of  making  another  com- 
mon-place scene  immortal  by  never  having  visited  a 
Chicago  cow  market.  Irish  blood,  brogue  and  wit  are 
as  much  in  evidence  there  daily  as  at  a  polling  place 
during  a  municipal  election.  The  sales  made  there  any 
day  in  the  week  would  furnish  many  a  diner  out  with 
stories  enough  to  last- a  lifetime;  the  buyer's  distrust, 
the  seller's  feigned  aloofness,  the  bickering,  jabbering 
and  dickering,  regarding  merit,demerit  and  price,  being 
all  pages  from  life's  commonplace  book. 

A  character,  which  once  seen  is  not  soon  to  be  for- 
gotten, is  the  frequently  occurring  old  woman  who 
comes  to  buy  a  cow  to  assist  in  the  family  support. 
One  minute  she  pleads  with  pathetic  accents,  the  next 
she  argues  vehemently,  and  again  she  lifts  her  voice  to 
an  Italian  opera  pitch  and  scolds  shrilly,  mercilessly 
scoring  the  seller  and  her  meek  husband,  who  only 
demonstrates  his  presence  by  an  occasional  wheedling 
word  put  in  when  his  wife  is  angriest.  Once  in  a  while, 
however,  she  allows  him  to  haggle  over  the  price  while 

she  looks  on  with  an  expression  of  anxiety,  but  she  only 

128 


THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS  129 

returns  to  the  charge  again  with  renewed  energy.  Ar- 
gument between  the  dealers  and  fun  for  the  bystanders 
flies  fast  and  furious. 

"Thirty  dollars,  and  a  big  bargain  at  that,"  says 
the  seller,  with  the  air  of  one  uttering  an  unalterable 
verdict. 

"Ah,  sure  now,  and  that's  a  deal  too  much  for  a 
poor  man  to  pay.  Can't  yez  make  it  twenty-four?" 
asks  the  old  man  wheedlingly.  Before  the  dealer  can 
speak  the  woman  breaks  in  with,  "Arrah, now,  it's  you're 
the  fool,  and  it's  meself  will  buy  the  cow,  indade  an'  I 
will.  Then  it's  robbery  you  would  be  doing  to  take  the 
last  cent  from  a  poor  woman  now." 

"Shure,  the  cow  is  worth  all  Task  for  it,"  says  the 
dealer,  and  seeing  that  he  can  make  no  sale,  he  steps 
close  to  the  old  woman  and  asks,  "Have  yez  a  sewer  in 
your  house?" 

"An'  it's  a  sewer  ye  say?" 

"It  is." 

"No,  I  have   no  sewer." 

"Well,  then,  I  can't  sell  yez  the  cow,  for  ye  can't 
take  all  her  milk." 

After  bargaining  with  a  dealer  or  two  more  the  couple 
buy  a  cow  for  twenty-three  dollars.  As  the  woman  re- 
luctantly parts  with  her  hard-earned  dimes,  which  evi- 
dently look  as  big  as  cartwheels  to  her,  and  the  hus- 
band is  handed  the  rope  to  lead  the  cow  away,  her  face 
takes  on  a  look  of  supreme  contentment,  and  as  the  trio 
move  away,  the  man  leading  the  cow,  and  the  old  wom- 
an, her  skirts  tucked  up,  trudging  along  behind  with 
a  big  shellala,  a  picture  is  seen  which  will  never  be 
forgotten,  and  is  worth  going  miles  to  see. 


EVOLUTION   OF  THE   HOG. 

THERE  is  an  ancient 
superstition  that  the 
(hog  is  a  filthy  ani- 
mal, hardly  fit  for 
food,  but  I  dare 
make  the  assertion 
that  it  is  only  since 
man  has  become  civ- 
ilized that  the  hog  has  been  degraded  and  his  name  em- 
ployed as  a  synonym  for  all  uncleanliness.  Records  of 
the  hog  as  a  meat  producer  date  back  at  least  2,500 
years, and  in  later  times  hetwas  raised  and  herded  in  the 
forests  of  England,  from  which  country  nearly  all  the 
fine  breeds  are  imported.  If  you  urge  as  argument  against 
the  hog  that  the  Jews,  the  oldest  race  on  earth,  have 
since  time  immemorial  despised  him  as  too  nasty  for  the 
table,  I  must  remind  you  that,  as  Disraeli  said,  the 
Jews  were  civilized  when  the  Britons  were  barbarians 
in  the  forests  of  England,  and  probably  King  Solomon's 
pig  sty  was  on  a  par  in  point  of  dirt  with  the  sty  of  our 
day — for  as  I  said  before,  in  proportion  as  man  is  civ- 
ilized into  cleanliness  he  degrades  his  swine  intofilthi- 
ness. 

But  to  come  up  to  the  present  time.   There  is  no  stock 
which  has  changed  so  greatly  in  the  last   half  century 

130 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  131 

as  the  hog,  and  the  change  means  principally  deterio- 
ration. There  is  no  effect  without  a  cause,  and  it  be* 
hooves  the  breeder  to  discover  what  is  the  reason  of  this 
deterioration  in  his  swine.  Much  attention  is  paid  to 
breed  and  much  to  feed — and  that  is  well,  for  the  ulti- 
matum of  the  hog  is  the  pork  barrel — but  somewhat 
must  be  lacking  somewhere  to  account  for  the  change, 
unless,  indeed,  we  are  to  suppose  that  the  hog  is  on 
the  highroad  to  extinction.  But  this  last  is  too  hypo- 
thetical a  supposition  and  may  be  dismissed  without 
notice. 

Looking  over  the  history  of  the  hog  for  fifty  years, 
we  shall  see  a  sufficient  cause,  however,  and  need  look 
no  farther.  Fifty  years  ago  the  hog  was  accredited 
with  as  many  lives  as  the  cat,  and  it  was  a  common  say- 
ing that  you  could  not  kill  a  hog  by  abuse.  Old  breed- 
ers of  that  period  say  they  have  seen  them  starved  to 
skin  and  bono,  torn  almost  limb  from  limb  by  dogs, 
their  bones  broken  and  bodies  deformed  and  left  in  that 
condition  to  provide  for  themselves  or  die.  They  sel- 
dom died,  and  a  dead  hog  except  in  the  slaughter  pen 
was  a  rare  sight.  A  journey  of  three  or  four  days  on 
foot  was  no  detriment,  and  disease  was  unknown  among 
them.  Today  the  life  of  the  hog  is  less  tenacious  than 
that  of  a  canary  bird.  A  heedless  blow,  rough  hand- 
ling, a  few  miles'  journey  on  foot,  or  a  chase  of  forty 
yards  and  he  will  lie  down  and  die.  He  is  so  subject 
to  disease  that  many  veterinarians  make  diseases  of 
swine  their  specialty. 

These  are  the  changes  in  the  hog,  and  to  find  a  plausi- 
ble explanation  of  them  we  have  only  to  compare 


82  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

the  environments  of  the  hog  of  fifty  years  ago  with 
those  of  the  hog  of  today.  Fifty  years  ago  he  was  a 
"pioneer  hog,"  sharing  pioneer  conditions.  A  sty  and 
trough  were  unknown  to  him.  He  found  his  own  food 
and  bed;  but  then  he  had  whole  sections  of  prairie  and 
miles  of  forest  in  which  to  do  it,  he  had  his  choice  of 
all  the  herbage  of  the  plains  and  all  the  nuts  of  the 
forest  (it  was  all  "beechnut  bacon"  in  those  days), 
and  clear  fresh  water  in  abundance.  He  had  the  unre- 
stricted exercise  and  invariable  health  of  a  nomadic 
life,  asking  no  favors  of  man  and  receiving  none.  In 
short,  it  was  a  case  of  "root,  hog,  or  diel"  and  he 
rooted. 

What  has  the  hog  of  today?  Instead  of  limitless 
unfenced  prairies  and  timberland,  he  is  happy  if  he  has 
one  acre  in  common  with  from  ten  to  one  hundred 
others  of  his  kind.  There  is  no  chance  for  grass  to 
grow  under  so  many  feet,  he  never  tastes  herbage,  his 
food  is  .usually  corn  and  swill,  while  he  drinks  from 
a  pool  in  which  some  other  hog  is  wallowing  and  stir- 
ring up  the  mud.  The  air  he  breathes  is  impure  with 
the  odor  from  excrement' covered  ground  and  he  has  no 
exercise — why  should  he  frisk  and  sport  iu  a  contracted 
prison  in  which  he  is  born  and  which  he  leaves  only 
to  be  marketed? — beside,  he  is  so  fat  that  locomotion  is 
uncomfortable,  and  so  when  he  is  not  eating  he  sleeps, 
and  consequently  is  weak,  feverish  and  subject  to  chol- 
era. Briefly,  the  hog  of  today  is  regarded  as  a  salable 
commodity,  and  the  rule  by  which  he  is  raised  is,  "Get 
fat,  get  fat  quick,  and  the  fatter  and  the  quicker  the 
better." 


OF   THE   UNION  STOCKYARDS  133 

Compare  the  flesh  of  the  pioneer  hog  with  that  of 
the  modern  hog.  The  lean  meat  of  the  former  was  firm 
and  fibrous  and  equaled  or  exceeded  the  fat  in  quan- 
tity; the  fat  was  solid,  without  a  suggestion  of  fiab- 
biness,  and  throughout  the  body  there  was  plenty  of 
muscle;  the  bone  was  strong  and  dense,  while  the  heart 
was  well  developed  and  fibrous,  forcing  the  healthy  red 
blood  through  the  body  with  strong,  quick  beats.  The 
fat  of  the  modern  hog  is  far  in  excess  of  the  lean,  and 
is  "tender,"  that  is,  soft  and  devoid  of  fiber;  the  only 
sinews  fouad  in  him  are  flabby  muscles  lying  beside 
the  spine,  in  the  shoulder  and  ham;  the  heart  is  weak, 
undeveloped,  and  has  not  vitality  enough  to  perform 
its  functions  properly,  consequently  the  animal  dies 
upon  the  least  excitement.  In  fact,  the  modern  hog 
in  afflicted  with  the  malady  of  too  much  fat,  which 
is  always  a  disease,  whether  in  hog  or  human. 

To  be  sure,  the  fibrous  flesh  of  the  old  style  hog  is  not 
wanted  by  the  gourmand  of  this  age,  but  his  vitality  is 
sorely  needed,  and  to  combine  vitality  with  tender  flesh 
is  the  desired  happy  medium.  To  accomplish  this  we 
have  just  one  suggestion  to  offer.  It  is  not  our  hog 
but  our  handling  which  is  at  fault.  Ergo,  reform  our 
handling.  The  Berkshires,  Chester-Whites,  Poland- 
Chinas  and  Duroc-Jerseys  are  all  right  in  themselves; 
what  they  all  need  is  tenacity.  To  get  this  give  them 
more  freedom,  a  variety  of  food,  especially  herbage,  and 
if  possible  let  them  "hustle"  for  the  latter  in  a  grassy 
field,  since  prairies  cannot  be  had;  and  let  them  always 
have  plenty  of  clear,  fresh  water.  Never  feed  them  on 
sour  or  putrid  food — it  kills  thousands  of  pigs  annually, 


184  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

and  may  with  better  results  be  used  for  fertilizing — 
and  feed  seldom  and  scantily  on  new  corn,  which  kills 
more  hogs  than  cholera.  Ground  barley,  oats,  wheat, 
corn,  peas  oilcake  meal,  clover  and  rye  are  all  good 
foods  for  variety. 

I  do  not  offer  these  suggestions  as  a  panacea  for  all 
hog  ills,  for  you  must  remembor  that  the  hog  has  in- 
herited fifty  years  of  multiplied  ills.  All  I  wish  to 
impress  upon  the  reader  is  that  he  must  not  make  hot- 
house plants  of  his  swine — with  knee-deep  filth  for 
soil — and  they  will  pay  him  so  well  that  they  may  in- 
deed become  veritable  "mortgage  lifters." 


OLD  SANDY. 

ONE  of  the  most  effective  hog  drivers  of  the  yards 
who  has  had  a  steady  job  for  fifteen  years,  and  never 
says  a  word  about  a  raise,  is  Old  Sandy.  Old  Sandy  not 
only  renders  valuable  aid  in  driving,  but  also  draws  a 


"OLD  SANDY." 

low  truck  which  is  used  as  an  ambulance  for  fat  hogs 
which  have  become  injured  or  exhausted  on  the  way. 
Old  Sandy  never  has  any  lines  in  his  harness,  nor  a 
driver,  nor  does  he  in  the  least  require  either.  He 

knows  exactly  what  to  do,  and  he  does  it.     The  saga- 

135 


186  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

cious  horse  is  owned  and  employed  by  an  outside  pack- 
ing-house, and  does  service  between  the  yards  and  his 
firm's  establishment.  The  hogs  bought  by  it  must  be 
driven  to  the  packing-house  from  the  yards,  and  this 
is  Old  Sandy's  work.  He  follows  along  after  the  drove 
of  hogs.  If  they  stop  he  stops,  and  if  an  animal  be- 
comes disabled  he  backs  up  the  little  cart,  the  animal 
is  shifted  aboard,  and  the  procession  moves  on.  If  a 
street  car  comes  along  Sandy  gets  out  of  the  way  with 
his  charge.  Sometimes  boys  come  about  the  faithful 
old  servitor,  and  to  tease  him  get  into  the  cart.  The 
knowing  Sandy  stands  still  in  a  "this-rock-shall-fly" 
attitude,  and  budges  not  a  yard  till  the  little  torment- 
ors vacate  the  cart.  He  knows  what  constitutes  his 
proper  load,  and  he  will  draw  no  other. 


INSPECTION. 

THE  inspection  of  meat  for  export  and  home  use  is 
one  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  business  at 
the  stockyards.  When,  pursuant  to  Elaine's  reciprocity 
policy  and  Jerry  Rusk's  efforts  along  the  same  line,  the 


INSPECTORS   TAGGING  CATTLE  FOR  EXPORT. 

embargo  was  taken  off  our  meat  exports  by  France  and 
Germany  in  1890-91,  on  condition  of  government  in- 
spection before  packing,  Nelson  Morris  was  the  first  to 

apply  for  and  obtain  a  government  inspector.  His  ex- 

137 


138 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


ample  was  quickly  followed  by  every  other  important 
packer  in  Chicago. 

This  inspection  is  made  by  qualified  veterinary  sur- 
geons appointed  by  the  government,  one  of  whom  is  in 
charge  of  each  weighing  division,  while  others  are  sta- 
tioned at  the  slaughter  pens.  Here  every  steer,  hog 
and  sheep  is  given  a  thorough  inspection,  the  healthy 
being  separated  from  the  unhealthy  stock.  Lumpy- 


LUMPY-JAWS  GOING    TO    QUARANTINE. 

jawed,  emaciated  and  other  diseased  cattle  are  sent  to 
the  government  quarantine  pen,  from  which  they  are 
taken  once  a  week  to  a  special  slaughter  house  and  killed. 
Such  of  this  meat  as  passes  the  post-mortem  examina- 
tion and  is  adjudged  fit  for  food  by  the  inspectors  is 
placed  on  the  market,  and  is  generally  bought  by  butch- 
ers outside  of  the  yards;  while  that  meat  which  is  con- 
demned is  tanked  and  rendered  into  grease  under  the 
eye  of  the  government  inspector.  In  each  of  the  large 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


139 


packing-houses  is  placed  a  government  veterinary  in- 
spector and  his  assistant,  and  the  cattle  are  reinspected 
there. 

All  hog  products  for  foreign  trade  are  even  more  care- 
full}'  examined,  if  that  is  possible,  hogs  being  more 
liable  to  bacterial  diseases  and  trichinosis  than  cattle. 
Every  piece  of  pork  undergoes  a  microscopic  examina- 


UHE'S  GOT  A  HEALTHY  SQUEAL." 

tion  and  is  then  stamped  and  sealed  with  the  govern- 
ment seal.  This  microscopic  work  is  done  by  women, 
and  theirs  is  one  of  the  most  unique  departments  at 
the  yards.  The  women  who  fill  these  positions  are 
selected  for  their  thorough  education,  intelligence  and 
good  health,  the  latter  requirement  applying  particu- 
larly to  the  eyes.  To  secure  a  position  here  such  an 
amount  of  official  red  tape  must  be  unwound  as  would 
vanquish  the  patience  of  all  but  the  most  plucky  and 


140 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


clever  of  women,  and  as  a  result  their  claim  to  intelli- 
gence is  backed  up  by  official  affidavits,  educational 
diplomas  and  certificates  from  physicians  and  oculists 
ad  infinitum. 

At  the  gates  of  the  stockyards  are  stationed  other 
competent  veterinarians,  whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  no 
dead  or  diseased  animals  pass  in  the  wagons  contain- 
ing crippled  stock.  These  men  have  authority  to  con- 
demn the  cripples,  but  cannot  order  them  to  be  de- 
stroyed. The  watchers  are  on  the  alert,  and  when  a 
load  of  disabled  beasts  comes  along  they  prod  them 
with  a  sharp  pointed  pole  to  ascertain  whether  they 
have  a  healthy  squeal.  The  animals  are  then  tagged 
and  recorded,  and  are  allowed  to  pass  to  the  private 
slaughtering  houses  outside  the  yards.  At  these  places 
are  stationed  inspectors  by  the  city  authorities,  and  it 
is  left  to  them,  principally,  to  judge  whether  the  meat 
turned  out  here  is  fit  for  an  alderman's  table. 


HEALTHY  CATTLE  FOR  SLAUGHTER. 


"JACK-KNIFE  BEN." 

EVERY  one  around  ":he  stockyards  district  knows  him. 
For  many  years  he  has  been  the  faithful  purveyor-in- 
ordinary  to  all  who  desired  to  acquire  the  indispensable 
jack-knife,  and  had  the  equivalent  in  coin  of  the  realm 


"jAl    BIN    VIEBTEL   THALER." 

to  exchange  therefor  Like  the  hand  of  the  dyer,  as- 
similating in  color  the  material  wherein  it  works,  the 
name  of  this  peripatetic  merchant  has  taken  on  a 
trsenomen  identifying  and  describing  the  vocation 
of  its  owner,  and  "-Jack-knife  Ben"  is  a  person  of  much 
easier  identification  by  most  of  his  acquaintances  than 
he  would  be  should  any  one  ignorantly  or  inadvertently 
speak  of  him  as  "Mr.  Benjamin  Chew."  Indeed,  it 

141 


142  ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 

may  be  seriously  doubted  if  Jack-knife  Ben  would  know 
who  was  addressed  should  he  be  apostrophized  as  Mr. 
Chew,  or  spoken  to  in  any  other  way  than  as  "Jack- 
knife,"  or  (when  the  speaker  was  more  than  usually 
confidential)  as  plain  Ben. 

Besides  being  well  known  he  is  very  popular  with 
those  with  whom  he  conies  in  constant  contact,  despite 
the  fact  that  the  proverbial  wooden  nutmeg  Yankee  at 
his  best  is  no  more  than  a  match  for  him  when  it  comes 
down  to  a  deal  in  knives.  But  there  is  such  an  air  of 
shrewd  and  cheerful  humor  in  everything  that  Ben  does 
that  one  lets  himself  be  persuaded,  even  against  positive 
knowledge,  that  in  the  case  of  his  wares  the  highly  pol- 
ished blades  are  equal  in  temper  and  cutting  capacity 
to  the  finest  products  of  the  steel  works  of  Damascus. 

Ben  is  a  man  of  resources.  For  ways  that  are  dark 
the  heathen  Chinee  has  long  carried  the  banner,  but 
when  it  comes  to  tricks  that  are  not  vain — or  void  of 
results,  which  means  the  same  thing — Ben  is  entitled 
to  the  first  seat  in  the  "amen"  corner.  Like  St  Paul, 
he  is  all  things  to  all  men — that  he  may  sell  knives. 
All  languages  and  all  systems  of  philosophy,  religion 
and  civilization  are  made  subservient  to  his  calling  in 
life — the  distribution  of  jack-knives  among  the  way- 
farers and  sojourners  of  Packingtown.  If  his  customer 
betrays  the  sweet  German  accent,  Ben  at  once  assumes 
the  deep,  absorbed  look  of  the  metaphysician,  and  his 
voice  takes  on  a  reverberatory,  guttural  sound  like  the 
muttering  of  distant  thunder  on  a  hot  midsummer  after- 
noon, and  the  impressive  manner  in  which  he  answers 
"Jal"  to  interrogatories,  regardless  of  the  relevancy  of 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  143 

the  question  and  answer,  would  win  its  way  to  the  soul 
of  the  most  ultra  German  who  ever  trod  in  leather. 
And  when  after  this  edifying  dialogue  has  continued 
for  some  minutes  and  Ben  hears  the  one  all-important 
word  "preis,"  uttered  by  his  questioner,  he  brings  to 
his  aid  his  utmost  linguistic  resources  and  answers, 
"Ein  viertel  Thaler,"  the  sale  is  always  closed  then 
and  there.  Ben  adds  another  quarter  to  his  already 
large  hoard,  while  the  Teuton  goes  away  with  a  knife. 

But  how  the  scene  changes  if  the  prospective  pur- 
chaser happens  to  be  an  Irishman!  No  sooner  is  the 
Milesian  seen  bearing  down  toward  Ben's  coign  of  van- 
tage than  that  redoubtable  worthy  pulls  a  face  in  which 
can  plainly  be  seen  unmistakable  delineations  of  the 
four  provinces  of  Ireland,  and  to  such  a  fine  point  has 
Ben  extended  the  exercise  of  his  acumen  that  he  can, 
at  a  great  way  off,  distinguish  what  manner  of  country- 
man it  is  who  approaches,  and  those  who  listen  may  at 
various  times  have  the  inestimable  privilege  of  hearing 
conversations  anent  the  merits  of  different  grades 
and  makes  of  cutlery  carried  on  in  the  respective  dia- 
lects and  brogues  of  Ulster,  Munster,  Leinster  and  Con- 
naught.  And  as  one  listens  he  becomes  more  than  firmly 
convinced  that  a  great  actor  has  been  lost  to  the 
boards;  or  else  he  goes  away  with  a  settled  conviction 
in  his  mind  that  there  is  more  than  a  hearsay  knowl- 
edge of  the  Emerald  Isle  in  Ben's  mental  make-up. 

In  more  cases  than  one  has  Ben  received  warm  fra- 
ternal hand-clasps  from  homesick  fresh  imports  from 
the  "ould  sod,"  and  the  remarkable  feature  of  these 
affairs  is  that  all  of  these  strangers  who  were  so  glad  to 


144  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

see  an  imagined  former  near  neighbor  in  the  person  of 
Ben  came  from  widely  separated  portions  of  the  island. 
The  inference  is  plain:  Either  Ben  was  born  and  has 
lived  in  more  places  than  are  imputed  even  to  the  poet 
Homer,  or  else  he  has  almost  unlimited  power  of  adap- 
tation and  mimicry  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  hour. 
But  if  he  should  go  so  far  as  to  claim  the  gift  of  ubiquity, 
there  are  those  among  his  admirers  who  would  back 
him  ten  to  one  that  he  could  prove  his  birth  at  a  given 
time  in  any  number  of  different  places  Indeed,  so  ex- 
pansive is  his  personality  that  it  might  upon  a  pinch 
be  believed  that  he  was  born  all  over  the  earth,  and  did 
not  confine  the  ceremony  of  his  incarnation  to  any  one 
particular  locality. 

Now  when  it  comes  down  to  serious  business  and  you 
desire  the  real  thing,  Jack-knife  Ben  can  accommodate 
you,  particularly  if  you  really  know  a  good  piece  of 
metal  when  you  see  it,  and  discover  at  the  same  time 
that  you  have  the  price.  He  can  fit  you  out  with  as 
good  an  article  as  you  can  get  anywhere,  but  the  sucker 
who  makes  a  play  at  Ben,  and  has  not  the  necessary 
equipment  of  knowledge  with  which  to  back  up  his 
bluff,  is  an  abomination  to  Ben.  But  put  Ben  on  his 
honor,  pay  him  a  fair  price  and  you  will  get  fair  treat- 
ment; but  don't  "play  horse"  with  him,  or  he  will 
beat  you  every  time. 

Necessarily,  from  the  constant  stream  of  visitors  to 
the  stockyards — some  on  business  errands,  others  merely 
gratifying  curiosity  to  see  the  great  shambles  of  the 
Northwest — Ben  is  known  by  people  all  over  the  world. 
He  is  a  fixture  at  the  yards,  being,  as  it  were,  a  feature 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  145 

of  the  ensemble  without  which  the  picture  would  be  in- 
complete, and  among  all  who  know  him  the  generally 
expressed  wish  is,  "May  his  shadow  never  grow  less, 
and  may  the  blade  of  Father  Time  be  as  powerless 
against  him  as  are  some  of  his  common  blades  against 
a  piece  of  black  gum-wood." 


CATTLE  BUYERS. 

MANY  of  the  live  stock  commission  men  at  the  stock- 
yards engage  buyers  to  select  stock  to  fill  their  orders, 
either  for  home  or  foreign  consumption.  These  buyers 
are  paid  salaries  ranging  from  $2,000  to  $35,000 
annually.  The  average  salary  is  about  $3,000,  and  is 
earned  by  men  of  ability,  men  who  seldom  make  a  mis- 
take in  their  purchases,  in  short,  "talented  buyers." 
.Those  who  draw  $15,000  annually  are  men  who  never 
make  a  mistake,  who  can  tell  at  a  glance  to  within  five 
pounds  what  a  steer  will  dress  and  the  quality  of  his 
beef,  can  sit  on  a  fence  and  judge  of  a  penful  of  cattle, 
keeps  posted  on  eastern  and  foreign  markets  as  well  as 
on  the  hide  market,  and  knows,  by  some  occult  intui- 
tion, when  to  get  into  the  market  and  when  to  get  out. 
In  brief,  the  difference  between  such  a  buyer  and  the 
one  who  earns  $8,000  a  year  is  the  difference  between 
genius  and  talent. 

But  whatever  the  salary  or  the  ability,  these  buyers 
are  important  factors  in  the  "altogether"  of  the  life 
at  the  stockyards,  and  it  will  be  a  sorry  day  for  the 
yards  when  some  over-clever  inventor  invents  an  auto- 
matic cattle  buyer. 


HEAVIEST    STEER   IN    THE    YARDS — WEIGHT    3,000   POUNDS 

DISPOSAL  OF   THE  STEER. 

THE  stockyards  is  the  most  economical  place  on  earth. 
Nothing  is  lost  there  except  the  squeal  of  the  hog — and 
a  patent  is  pending  for  bottling  that. 

Americans  have  the  name  of  being  extravagant,  and  of 
prodigally  wasting  their  bounteous  resources,  but  the 
Union  Stockyards  is  one  place  where  this  charge  would 
not  hold  good,  for  here  no  willful  waste  will  ever  make 
woful  want  while  the  present  system  of  utilizing  every 
ounce  of  material  is  followed.  From  the  tips  of  the 
long  tossing  horns  of  the  Texas  steer  to  the  end  of  his 
tail  nothing  is  lost;  hide,  hair,  hoofs, — in  short,  the 
"altogether"  is  utilized,  each  portion  finding  its  des- 
tined end  and  way,  and  thus  parts  of  the  same  animal 
may  eventually  be  scattered  to  the  four  quarters  of  the 
globe. 

If  the  fashionable  ladies  whose  names  figure  in  the 
elite  Blue  Bo  3k,  and  also  lesser  members  of  society, 
could  trace  backward  to  their  first  estate  the  delicate  so- 
called  tortoise  shell  combs  now  so  popular,  perhaps  the 
present  high  prices  would  not  rule  except  upon  affidavit 
of  an  expert  that  the  material  was  the  genuine  "stuff." 
In  life  poor  old  Brindle's  horns  were  never  in  the  least 
ornamental,  but  after  she  passes  under  the  executioner's 

140 


THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS  147 

mallet  at  the  stockyards  parts  of  those  same  curved 
weapons  of  defense  become  touched  to  the  "fine  issues" 
of  a  lady's  adorning,  besides  the  many  baser  uses 
enterprising  manufacturers  find  for  them. 

The  tips  of  the  horns  are  made  into  bone  ware,  combs 
and  various  other  things.  The  hollow  parts  go  through 
a  steaming  process  whereby  they  are  rolled  out  flat  and 
then  made  into  combs  and  ornamental  bone  work,  even 
into  a  very  fine  imitation  of  tortoise  sheli,  the  necessary 
shading  and  coloring  being  arrived  at  by  the  use  of  acid. 
The  horns  sell  for  $225  per  ton. 

From  the  head  the  brain  is  removed,  one  man  being 
kept  busy  splitting  the  skulls  with  an  axe — and  so  ex- 
pert is  he  that  the  axe  never  touches  the  brain — an- 
other man  taking  out  the  brain,  which  then  comes  to 
our  table  as  a  delicacy;  the  meat  of  the  cheeks  is 
taken  off  and  used  for  canning,  and  the  tongue  is  pick- 
led and  sold  either  fresh  or  canned,  while  the  bones  are 
then  broken  up  and  by  a  trying-out  process  become 
transformed  into  neat's-foot  oil. 

The  uses  of  the  hides  in  the  common  purposes  for 
leather  is  well  known,  but  they  are  also  used,  after  be- 
ing softened,  and  fancy  figures  stamped  upon  them,  for 
the  purposes  of  expensive  upholstering  and  in  the  mak- 
ing of  coats,  taking  the  place  of  the  old-time  buffalo 
coat. 

The  carcass,  of  course,  is  claimed  by  the  local  butcher 
or  sent  to  Europe  by  cold  storage;  also  to  parts  of  the 
United  States  where  meat  supplies  are  inadequate — 
often,  strange  to  say,  going  back  almost  to  the  very 
ranger  who  shipped  it  hither  as  live  stock. 


148  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

The  shank  bone,  cut  above  the  ankle  and  below  the 
knee,  making  a  piece  seven  to  eight  inches  long,  is  sent 
to  the  New  England  and  Massachusetts  factories  to  be 
made  into  knife  handles  for  the  cheaper  grades  of  cut- 
lery. Out  of  the  ankle  and  knee  bones  every  particle 
of  fat  is  taken,  and  the  bones  then  go  to  Germany  for 
use  in  sugar  refining.  These  bones  are  also  used  in  man- 
ufacturing fiber  for  use  in  connection  with  electrical 
appliances. 

The  hoofs  are  simply  worked  up  into  glue  Of  the 
tails  the  number  is  so  large  that  they  cannot  all  be 
consumed  in  Chicago,  and  they  are  therefore  largely 
exported  for  use  in  the  making  of  ox-tail  soup. 

The  intestines — some  of  which,  the  round  and  mid- 
dle guts,  make  a  casing  125  feet  in  length — are  made  into 
long  cases  for  large  bologna  sausages.  The  stomach 
goes  for  headcheese,  the  livers  for  free  lunch  or  are 
made  into  liver  sausages. 

A  percentage  of  the  blood  is  used  for  blood  sausage; 
also  for  a  coloring  matter  for  dark  colored  headcheese. 
A  portion  also  goes  through  a  crystallizing  process  and 
is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  buttons. 

The  remainder  of  the  animal,  the  refuse,  bones, 
scraps,  odds  and  ends,  are  all  put  into  a  common  mass, 
dried,  ground  and  sold  as  bone  dust  and  fertilizing 
matter. 

All  of  the  undigested  contents  of  the  stomach  of  the 
animal  when  killed  are  dried  and  burnt  as  fuel  in  the 
furnaces,  there  being,  wonderful  to  say,  enough  of  this 
strange  sort  of  fuel  furnished  to  keep  the  furnaces  go- 
ing. 


OF   THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS  149 

The  hot  water  with  which  the  benches  and  floors  of 
the  slaughter  houses  are  scrubbed  is  carried  off  by  sew- 
ers into  a  catch-basin,  the  surface  is  then  skimmed  and 
the  fat  thus  obtained  is  converted  into  axle-grease. 

The  accumulation  of  ashes  in  the  smoke  houses,  left 
from  the  wood  burnt  in  preparing  smoked  meats,  is 
saved  for  fruit  growers  and  is  sold  in  barrels  at  a  rate 
of  about  ten  dollars  per  ton. 

The  western  and  lighter  native  cattle  are  canned,  the 
bones  are  put  into  a  vat  and  all  fatty  matter  extracted, 
and  the  clear  fat  becomes  tallow.  From  the  delicate 
marrow  taken  from  the  shank  bone  is  made  the  com- 
mercial pomades  and  mustache  dressings. 

It  is  not  so  long  ago  that  the  problem  of  how  to  dis- 
pose of  the  offal  resulting  from  the  slaughter  of  cattle 
and  hogs  was  one  which  tried  the  Chicago  packers  sorely. 
The  quantity  of  it  was  so  enormous,  the  worthless- 
ness  of  it  so  seemingly  obvious,  that  merely  how  to  get 
rid  of  it  at  the  least  expense  was  a  daily  recurring  ques- 
tion. Offal  was  the  bugbear  of  the  packing  business. 
In  those  early  days  the  value  of  offal  as  a  fertilizer  was 
not  known  to  the  packers;  the  blood  was  allowed  to  run 
into  the  river,  the  heads,  feet,  tankage  and  general 
refuse  was  usually  hauled  out  on  the  prairies  and  buried 
in  trenches. 

But  there  were  some  even  then  who  appreciated  the 
value  of  this  waste  product,  and  these  few  were  the 
ghouls  of  the  refuse  burial  grounds,  digging  up  and 
hauling  the  ill-smelling  matter  to  their  small  factories 
and  converting  it  into  glue,  tallow,  oil  and  fertilizer. 
Seeing  this  use  of  it,  the  packers  willingly  offered  the 


150  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

offal  to  any  one  who  would  cart  it  away  without  charge. 
As  a  result  of  this  liberality  a  new  industry  was  born, 
small  glue  and  fertilizer  factories  springing  up  like 
mushrooms  in  the  vicinity  of  Ashland  Avenue  and 
Thirty-ninth  Street;  the  fertilizer  being  shipped  to  the 
East,  which  alone  afforded  a  market  for  it.  The  bone 
tankage  turned  out  by  these  factories  was  a  fairly  good 
product  of  its  kind,  and  was  particularly  in  demand  by 
farmers  as  a  fertilizer  for  winter  wheat.  The  regular 
fertilizer,  however,  was  high  in  moisture  and  in  poor 
mechanical  condition. 

However,  the  cheapness  of  the  material,  which  cost 
only  the  trouble  of  hauling  it  from  the  packing-houses, 
the  inexpensive  process  of  manufacture,  a  crude  wooden 
trip  hammer  only  being  used  to  crush  the  bone  tankage, 
and  the  comparatively  high  price  set  upon  the  finished 
product,made  the  manufacture  of  fertilizer  so  profitable 
a  business  that  the  manufacturers  soon  became  violent 
competitors.and  began  to  bid  hotly  for  the  offal.  Up  to 
this  time  the  manufacturers  had  accumulated  snug  for- 
tunes out  of  the  business  of  getting  something  for  prac- 
tically nothing,  but  now  a  money  value  was  being  set 
upon  the  packing-house  refuse,  and  the  packers  even 
considered  seriously  the  pros  and  cons  of  engaging  in 
the  manufacture  of  fertilizer  themselves,  although  they 
were  now  turning  a  pretty  penny  by  the  sale  of  the 
offal. 

About  1877  a  home-made  direct  heat  drier  was  per- 
fected, and  with  the  aid  of  this  device  one  of  the  larger 
and  more  progressive  packers  went  into  the  manufac- 
ture of  fertilizer  in  earnest.  As  a  result  he,  and  those 


OF    THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


151 


who  afterward  followed  his  example,  were  able  to  sell 
their  beef  and  pork  at  closer  margins,  thus  tempting 
larger  purchases.  Larger  sales  meant  a  more  rapid  de- 
velopment of  his  business  in  advance  of  his  less  pro- 
gressive fellow  packers.  Indeed,  this  was  one  of  the 
moves  to  which  is  largely  due  the  greatness  of  Chi- 
cago as  a  provision  and  dressed  beef  market.  For 
economy  is  one  of  the  first  laws  of  nature,  and  where 
economy  is  practiced  in  little  things  there  may  compe- 
tition be  defied,  an  axiom  which  has  been  proved  by  the 
Chicago  packers,  who,  by  utilizing  the  offal  which 
other  packers  wasted,  were  enabled  to  undersell  their 
competitors  and  still  realize  larger  profits.  And  this  is 
a  fact  which  should  carry  a  moral  to  spendthrifts. 


LOOKING  OVER  FEEDERS  AT  THE  STOCKYARDS. 


THE  MALTESE  CROSS. 

THE  Union  Stockyards  is,  perhaps,  about  the  last 
place  where  one  with  a  fancy  for  romance  would  expect 
to  find  any  food  for  such  a  taste,  or  a  chapter  from  a 
stage  melodrama  where  the  long  missing  brother  with 
the  strawberry  mark  on  his  arm  turns  up  in  the  nick  of 
time  to  defeat  the  schemes  of  the  grasping  uncle  who 
plans  to  seize  upon  the  inheritance  on  supposition  of 
the  death  of  the  rightful  heir.  Or,  again,  the  last  place 
where  on  finding  in  the  stomach  of  a  fish  the  mysteri- 
ously lost  other  half  of  the  amulet  which  the  parting 
lovers  had  divided  between  them,  the  wondering  swain  is 
convinced  that  his  Lucinda  had  indeed  lost  the  trinket 
while  boating  instead  of  giving  it  to  his  rival,  as  some 
perfidious  lago  has  hinted,  and  goes  home  straightway 
to  his  duckalinda,  and  they  "live  happily  ever  after." 

But  though  this  is  the  last  place  to  look  for  romance, 
arid  a  Texas  steer  the  last  medium  for  its  conveyance, 
yet  something  quite  as  strange  and  out  of  the  common 
as  this  actually  came  to  pass  at  this  very  prosaic  pi  ace, 
and  if  no  faithful  swain  and  sweetheart  had  their  fond 
hearts  reunited  it  was  more  because  the  owners  of  the 
amulet  were  already  happily  married  than  from  an}' 
failure  to  connect  on  the  part  of  the  strange  incident 
itself.  The  elements  of  romance  and  melodrama  were 
all  there,  right  enough. 

152 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  153 

The  incident  is  simply  that,  not  many  months  ago, 
there  was  found,  embedded  in  the  intestine  of  a  Texas 
steer,  a  gold  medal  engraved  "Miss  Ida  Work,  Dallas, 
Texas."  The  medal  was  in  the  shape  of  a  Maltese  cross, 
and,  as  discovered  when  the  owner  was  found,  had  been 
given  her  on  graduating  from  school  in  a  convent  in 
Mexico,  and  had  been  missing  seven  years.  When,  upon 
a  chance  of  finding  her,  the  original  of  the  address  was 
written  to,  it  was  learned  that  she  had  been  some  years 
married  and  is  the  mother  of  several  children.  The 
medal  was  sent  to  her,  and  no  doubt  the  owner  was 
overjoyed  to  regain  her  lost  treasure. 


HUNTERS  AND  SADDLE  HORSES. 


BREEDING. 

WITH  ADVICE  TO  FARMERS  AND    SMALL  BREEDERS. 

IF  there  is  one  thing  more  than  another  which  is  now 
agitating  the  farmers  and  small  breeders  of  the  coun- 
try, it  is  horse  breeding.  How  and  what  to  breed  a»d 
whether  breeding  pays  are  the  questions  of  the  hour, 
questions  which  apparently  have  more  than  the  pro- 
verbial nine  lives  of  the  cat,  and  will  neither  be  downed 
nor  answered  to  popular  satisfaction. 

Very  recently  the  opinion  prevailed  that  the  horse  in- 
dustry was  on  the  highroad  to  extinguishment  from 
neglect,  but  this  idea  has  been  abated  by  the  revival  of 
common  sense,  which  proves  to  us  that  while  human 
beings  inhabit  the  globe  the  love  of  God's  noblest  ani- 
mal, the  horse,  will  continue  to  demonstrate  itself  in 

efforts  for  his  improvement.   Fashionable   horse  shows 

1D4 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  155 

are  frequeut  all  over  the  country,  extraordinary  induce- 
ments in  prizes  being  offered  for  fine  animals,  and  I 
see  in  this  and  other  facts  signs  of  increasing  interest 
in  the  horse  beautiful,  with  an  attendant  interest  in 
breeding. 

I  have  no  intention  of  antagonizing  the  views  of  the 
great  majority  of  those  interested  in  this  subject. 
Any  one  who  will  make  a  study  of  the  question  will 
discover  that  the  theories  advanced  in  opposition  to 
breeding  are  based  on  false  premises.  The  only  shade 
of  truth  in  the  argument  is  that  the  number  of  horses 
used  in  cities  has  been  somewhat  lessened  by  the  in- 
crease of  trolley  and  cable  transit.  But  the  growth  of 
cities,with  its  attendant  demand  for  heavy  draft  horses, 
the  increasing  number  of  the  rich  with  expensive  par- 
tialities for  stylish  horses,  together  with  a  European 
trade,  which  I  shall  mention  later,  more  than  compen- 
sate for  the  few  horses  displaced  by  mechanical  means 
of  transit. 

While  there  may  be  differences  of  opinion  regarding 
some  phases  of  the  horse  industry,  all  agree  that  but 
few  colts  are  being  produced.  Authentic  reports  de- 
clare that  there  are  almost  no  suckling  colts  and  very 
few  yearlings  in  the  country.  The  best  mares  are  also 
rapidly  disappearing,  especially  the  fine,  stylish  mares 
of  the  carriage  type  and  the  large  draft  mares,  although 
both  kinds  bring  prices  which  will  yield  the  breeder 
better  profits  than  most  of  the  products  of  the  farm. 
Buyers  are  today  searching  the  country  for  good  horses 
of  all  kinds,  and  offering  fully  thirty  per  cent  better 
prices  than  were  offered  six  months  ago.  Another  im- 


156  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

portant  factor  to  be  seriously  considered  is  the  foreign 
demand  for  American  horses,  which  is  increasing  at  a 
phenomenal  rate,  shiploads  of  American  horses  being 
transported  weekly.  England,  Germany,  France,  Ire- 
land, Scotland,  Belgium,  and  in  fact  all  Europe  con- 
cedes that  America  can  raise  better  horses  for  less  money 
than  any  other  country  in  the  world,  and  Europe  may 


AN  ALL-ROUND   ACTOR. 

be  depended  upon   to  take  all  our  surplus  stock  in  the 
future  at  fair  prices. 

There  is,  however,  a  rational  explanation  of  the 
breeder's  present  timidity  and  the  farmer's  indifference 
to  breeding.  For  during  the  seven  years  preceding  1892 
there  was  an  overproduction  of  horses,  the  government 
report  showing  an  increase  of  2,150,000  in  the  United 
States  for  the  years  1891-92.  The  explanation  of  this 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  157 

overproduction  lies  in  the  increase  of  the  export  trade, 
farmers  and  breeders  fancying  that  a  large  demand  for 
horses  meant  an  unlimited  demand  for  any  manner  of 
beast,  by  courtesy  called  ahorse,  which  they  could  pro- 
duce, and  as  a  consequence  such  horses  became  a  drug 
on  the  market  Then  the  reaction  came,  and  the  farmers 
who  had  on  hand  this  white  elephant  of  horseflesh, 
which  was  in  style  neither  fish,  flesh  nor  fowl  and  sup- 
plied no  existing  demand,  sold  for  anything  they  could 
get;  and  going  to  the  other  extreme  of  fancying  that 
the  horse  industry  was  dead,  sold  even  their  brood 
mares. 

So  prevalent  has  this  idea  become  that  during  the 
last  three  years  only  forty  per  cent  of  the  mares  were 
bred,  resulting  in  a  decrease,  according  to  last  year's 
horse  census,  of  215,000  head.  And  now  the  universal 
cry  of  the  dealer  is,  "Where  shall  we  get  horses?" 
Sight  has  been  entirely  lost  of  the  fact  that  it  was  not 
the  market  hut  the  horse  which  was  poor.  Among  so 
many  bad  horses  there  were,  of  course,  many  good  ones, 
and  for  these  there  was  and  is  a  ready  sale. 

A  visit  to  the  great  live  stock  markets  of  the  world, 
Chicago  in  particular,  would  be  of  inestimable  benefit 
to  breeders  and  farmers  by  convincing  them  that  the 
supply  of  horses  does  not  equal  the  demand.  In  Chi- 
cago are  twelve  large  firms  which  control  the  sale  of 
100,000  horses  annually.  The  heads  of  these  firms  are 
unanimous  in  the  conviction  that  there  are  only  two 
kinds  of  horses  worth  breeding.  Of  these  the  stylish 
coach  horse,  they  will  convince  the  breeder,  has  never 
equaled  the  demand,  while  of  the  well  formed,  heavy- 


158  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

weight  draft  horse  the  supply  is  also  incredibly  short. 
There  is  another  reaction  impending,  however,  one 
which  will  turn  in  favor  of  breeding  good  stock,  and 
we  may  expect  to  see  gradually  established  a  normal 
relation  between  supply  and  demand.  In  the  mean- 
time, as  a  horse  cannot  be  created  in  a  minute,  there  is 


THE  THOROUGHBRED  "ORMOND. " 

a  "horse  drought"  in  sight,  which  will  inevitably  in- 
crease in  aggravation  until  several  crops  of  yet  un- 
foaled  colts  shall  have  grown  to  maturity.  Therefore 
there  can  be  no  better  time  to  begin  to  breed  than  now, 
at  the  very  commencement  of  the  scarcity,  when  prices 
are  mounting  higher  and  higher.  The  farmer  who 
takes  this  hint  will  do  so  to  his  lasting  advantage,  for 
it  is  unlikely  in  this  enterprising  age  that  such  a  dearth 
of  horses  will  occur  twice  in  a  man's  lifetime. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  159 

Like  an  army  in  battle,  which  must  have  recruits  or 
stop  fighting,  so  we  must  reinforce  the  stock  or  get  off 
our  pedestal  as  a  fine-horse  producing  country,  and  so 
Jose  the  profits  of  the  industry.  All  we  have  now  to 
depend  upon  to  do  this  is  the  short  crop  of  colts  from 
a  limited  number  of  mares  bred  the  last  few  seasons. 

Like  produces  like,  or  the  likeness  of  some  ancestor. 
The  scrub  horse  will  produce  the  scrub  horse,  and  the 
scrub  farmer  will  have  the  scrub  stock  that  will  lose 
him  money,  while  the  progressive  farmer  will  produce 
the  prize  winners  which  will  prove  both  a  source  of 
great  pride  and  of  profit.  It  costs  no  more  to  raise  a  good 
horse  than  a  poor  one;  one  eats  as  much  as  the  other. 
I  have  no  axe  to  grind  and  no  particular  man's  stock 
to  advertise.  I  give  an  unbiased  opinion  without  fear 
or  favor,  and  what  I  advise  the  farmer  to  do  is  this: 
Cross  a  big,  bony,  thoroughbred  running  horse  with 
straight  action  with  a  round,  smooth-turned  Norman, 
Percheron  or  other  large  mare  with  good  action,  which 
the  two  former  invariably  have.  The  mare  will  give 
size  and  action  and  the  stallion  symmetry,  activity  and 
staying  quality,  thus  forming  a  foundation  of  fine 
brood  mares  of  which  the  country  is  now  sadly  in 
need.  The  produce  will  be  half-bred  hunters  and 
saddle  horses,  which  are  in  great  demand,  and  car- 
riage horses  fit  for  home  and  export  trade.  Pairs  of 
such  horses  as  this  breed  can  pull  a  plow  or  draw  a  car- 
riage, and  will  find  a  ready  sale  at  a  minute's  notice  at 
from  $500  to  $1,000.  The  breed  may  be  still  further 
improved  by  taking  the  progeny  from  this  cross  and 
breeding  it  to  carefully  selected  thoroughbred  trotting, 


160 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


coach  horses  or  hackneys  that  are  bred  in    the  purple. 
But  the  stallion  must  in  no  event  be  a  half-bred  cur. 

By  following  my  suggestions  the  farmer,  when  he 
drives  to  town  with  a  pair  of  such  horses,  will  have  so 
many  offers  for  them  that  he  will  likely  exclaim,  "Thank 


A  COACHER  (DUNHAM'S  "INDRE"). 

God!  at  last  I've  produced  something  for  which  the 
buyers  follow  me  around  and  ask,  'Smith,  what'll  you 
take  for  them?'"  I  am  talking  from  experience,  and 
when  I  say  that  the  thoroughbred  is  not  nearly  so  much 
appreciated  by  the  average  breeder  as  he  should  be, 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  161 

and  that  the  thoroughbred  alone  can  impart  the  desira- 
ble finish  to  a  coach  or  other  horse,  I  know  whereof  I 


There  is  another  horse  to  which  we  must  pay  some 
attention.  That  is  the  draft  horse  proper.  The  draft 
horse  requires  the  same  forethought  to  produce  him 
that  the  coach  horse  does,  for  while  the  latter  must  be 
showy  the  former  must  be  herculean  in  strength,  and 
neither  quality  is  bred  by  chance.  To  get  a  draft  horse, 
breed  a  Percheron  stallion  to  a  Norman  or  even  a  Clydes- 
dale mare.  Do  not  make  the  irreparable  mistake  of 
trying  to  breed  draft  horses  from  nondescript  stock, 
even  if  it  is  good,  sound  and  of  medium  weight,  say 
from  1300  to  1500  pounds,  and  even  if  you  usa  a  big 
draft  stallion.  The  stallion  cannot  counterbalance  in 
the  progeny  the  mare's  lack  of  weight,  and  the  result 
will  be  that  bugbear  of  the  breeder — a  horse  which  is 
not  what  it  was  purposed  to  be,  and  consequently  more 
likely  than  not  is  unfitted  for  any  purpose.  In  breed- 
ing for  draft  horses  remember  that  the  weight  of  the 
draft  horse  is  increasing,  arid  that  while  a  1300  to  1500 
pound  animal  would  pass  for  such  a  few  years  ago  it 
will  do  so  no  longer,  1600  pounds  being  the  very 
lightest  weight  desirable." 

The  general  purpose  horse  is  still  another  animal 
which  may  be  noticed  in  passing.  No  suggestions  are 
necessary  for  its  breeding,  the  stock  takes  care  of  itself, 
and  is  constantly  replenished  by  inbreeding. 

Haphazard  breeding  is  the  order  of  the  day  among 
farmers.  Too  often  they  breed  without  a  purpose,  not 
caring  what  is  crossed  with  what,  so  that  the  result  is 


162  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

a  colt  which  can  be  marketed.  The  average  farmer  is, 
above  all  others,  the  man  who  must  market  his  produce, 
whether  it  be  stock  or  grain,  at  a  good  price  in  order 
to  make  both  ends  meet,  to  say  nothing  of  "making 
farming  pay."  And  yet  he  persistently  neglects  to 


THE  TROTTER  "PATCHEN  WILJCES." 

take  the  one  step  which  will  bring  him  good  prices. 
It  is  only  by  repeated  admonitions,  urging  and  prod- 
ding that  he  will  ever  be  induced  to  take  forethought 
enough  to  control  by  proper  breeding  the  quality  of  the 
stock  he  markets.  And  not  until  he  does  this  will  he 
make  breeding  pay 


OF   THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS  163 

A  thoroughbred  stallion,  it  may  be  argued,  is  an  ex- 
pensive article,  and  cannot  be  afforded  by  the  average 
farmer.  The  solution  of  this  difficulty  is  simple. 
What  one  farmer  cannot  afford  two,  three,  or,  if  neces- 
sary, a  dozen  can  afford  easily,  and  would  this  number 
of  farmers  form  a  syndicate  and  purchase  a  thorough- 
bred running  stallion  they  would  soon  find  themselves 
reimbursed  for  the  outlay  by  the  higher  prices  brought 
by  their  young  stock.  Could  the  national  Government 
be  induced  to  purchase  thoroughbred  stallions  and  place 
them  in  the  different  breeding  sections  of  the  country, 
charging  the  farmers  a  very  nominal  price  for  their 
services,  it  would  result  in  a  dissemination  of  good 
blood,  in  better  prices  for  stock,  and  in  hitherto  un- 
known prosperity  for  the  breeders  and  farmers. 

I  have  spent  the  better  part  of  ray  life  in  Canada, 
where  the  Government  gives  a  little  valuable  attention 
to  the  breeding  of  horses,  and  beside  have  inherited  a 
love  for  a  drop  of  blood,  and  have  in  much  traveling 
seen  its  results.  Canada  has  the  reputation,  and  de- 
servedly too,  of  breeding  the  hardiest,  toughest,  best- 
selling  saddle  and  carriage  horses  on  the  American 
continent.  There  is  where  you  can  see  a  farmer  driv- 
ing a  pair  of  big  sixteen-hand  half-bred  horses  in  and 
out  of  town  forty  miles,  their  heads  and  tails  up  all 
the  way,and  their  big  sinews  playing  like  the  piston  rods 
of  a  ten-horse  engine.  In  too  many  states  if  the  farmer 
drives  to  and  from  town  a  few  miles  his  common-bred 
curs  loll  up  against  the  fence  on  the  way  home  to  keep 
from  falling  over. 

In  conclusion  I  will  say  that  I  am  not  afraid  that 


164 


the  horseless  age  is  upon  us,  the  bicycle  fiend  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding,  Does  the  bicycle  enjoy  a 
lump  of  sugar  from  your  hand?  Can  it  toss  its  head 
and  whinny  a  joyous  greeting  as  it  hears  your  voice, 
or  carry  you  like  a  bird  on  the  wing  over  a  five-bar  gate? 
Do  you  fancy  that  inanimate  cobweb  of  rods  and  wheels 


A   HACKNEY    (HASTING's  'u YOUNG    NOBLEMAN5'). 

from  the  machinist's  will  ever  take  the  place  of  my  feel- 
ing, thinking,  loving  companion  from  Barbary?  Not 
while  the  bicycle  remains  blind  to  your  actions  of  kind- 
ness and  dumb  to  the  sound  of  your  voice,  nor  while 
the  horse  is  the  delightful  company  he  is,  whether 
in  the  stable,  under  the  saddle  or  in  the  harness  I  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  as  far  back  into'  the  ages  as  we  can  trace 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


165 


his  association  with  human  beings,  the  horse  appears  as 
the  friend  and  intimate  companion  of  man.  He 
steps  down  the  ages  decked  with  the  flowers  and  wreaths 
of  love,  poetry,  romance  and  chivalry  no  less  than  with 
the  stern  trappings  of  heroism  and  war.  "Man's  in- 
humanity to  man"  and  beast  is  justly  lamented,  but  so 


THE  PERCHERON    ULA  FERTE." 

associated  with  the  sentiment  and  necessities  of  man  is 
the  horse  that  bicycles,  tricycles  and  motocycles  com- 
bined will  be  powerless  to  displace  him.  Imagine  the 
gallant  General  Miles  astride  a  bicycle  cheering  his 
troops  to  victory  with  a  sword  in  one  hand  and  pump- 
ing his  tires  for  dear  life  with  the  other! 

You  may  depend  upon  it,  good  horses,  and  especially 
good  coach  and  saddle  horses,  will  always  be  in  demand. 


166 


The  dealers  say,  "It  is  not  a  question  of  money  now. 
It  is  a  question  of  horses.  If  we  can  get  what  our  cus- 
tomers want  in  the  way  of  carriage  horses,  they  do  not 
want  to  know  the  price,  and  will  pay  the  bill  without 
a  question." 

If  the  result  of  this  article  is  to  create  even  an  iota 
of  interest  among  the  breeders,  I  shall  feel  amply  com- 
pensated for  having  written  it.  And  as  the  old  ranch- 
man said  as  a  warning  not  to  harbor  his  runaway  wife, 
UA  word  to  the  wise  is  sufficient,  and  ought  to  work 
on  fools." 


PEROHERONS  INVARIABLY  HAVE  GOOD    ACTION. 


"BRIDLE  BILL." 

• 

HE  is  one  of  the  familiar  figures  at  the  stockyards. 
Day  in  and  day  out,  during  weeks  which  grew  into 
months,  and  months  which  have  grown  into  years,he  has 
stood  near  the  fire-engine  house  pursuing  his  vocation 
of  braiding  and  plaiting  leather  lariats,  watch  chains 
and  bridles.  You  may  think  it  a  small  business,  but 
that  is  a  mistake,  for  many  times  a  single  article  brings 
as  much  as  seventy-five  dollars  to  Bill's  swelling  coffers. 
Beside  being  an  artist  in  his  line  he  is  also  its  champion, 
plaiting  in  sixty-two  different  and  distinct  styles; 
hence  his  name.  On  his  last  visit  to  Chicago  Sir  Henry 
Irving,  no  greater  an  artist  in  his  profession  than  Bill 
is  in  his,  purchased  one  of  Bill's  famous  bridles. 

Bridle  Bill's  real  name  is  W.  T.  Davidson,  and  his 

167 


168  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

birthplace  is  Upton  County,  Texas.  He  is  of  a  ro- 
mautic  and  adventurous  nature,  and  many  a  time  has 
he  traveled  over  the  old  Chisholm  trail  during  the 
stormy  days  of  1869,  forming  one  of  the  protecting 
guard  usually  accompanying  emigrants  going  from 
Texas  to  Kansas.  A  999  page  book  would  barely  hold 
all  Bill's  adventures  with  the  then  numerous  Sioux, 
Gomanches,  marauders  and  horse  thieves. 

But  while  Bill's  eyes  were  never  closed  to  the  least 
signs  which  heralded  the  coming  of  a  band  of  savages, 
or  his  ears  deaf  to  the  stealthy  sound  of  a  creeping  foe, 
his  eyes  and  ears  were  also  open  to  the  beautiful  colors 
and  forms  and  sweet  sounds  of  the  stream-kissed 
mountains  and  sun-burned  plains  of  his  wild  surround- 
ings. And  should  you  care,  one  of  these  bright  spring 
days,  to  run  out  to  the  yards,  and  chance  to  catch  Bill  in 
an  idle  moment,  he  will  tell  you  a  blood-curdling  story 
of  adventure  dressed  up  with  many  touches  of  vivid 
scenic  description  which  prove  him  to  be  a  romancist  as 
well  as  a  graphic  narrator.  For  while  Bill  is  now  a 
steady-going  citizen  of  Chicago, you  have  only  to  say  In- 
dian to  him  and  his  eyes  blaze  at  once  as  when  you  cry 
rat  to  an  English  fox  terrier,  and  his  tongue  seconds  his 
memory  in  recalling  the  many  redskins  who  sleep  in 
the  happy  hunting  grounds  because  of  his  unerring 
aim,  and  in  relating  the  experiences  of  wanderings  which 
carried  him  from  coast  to  coast  and  from  Canada  to  the 
Gulf.  And  should  his  mood  be  a  particularly  commu- 
nicative one  his  narrations  would  equal  the  stories  of 
Jack  Shepard  and  the  imaginings  of  Mark  Twain. 


HORSE  DEALING. 

IN  Europe,  and  of  late  in  New  York  City, the  business 
of  horse  dealing  has  become  as  honorable,  reputable 
and  responsible  as  that  of  a  merchant,  grocer,  or 
•'coal-baron."  It  is  largely  engaged  in  by  gentlemen 
who  have  an  inbred  Jove  of  the  horse  from  boyhood, 
and  frequently  by  those  of  wealth  and  leisure. 

In  other  places  these  dealers  have  their  establishments 
where  orders  are  received  in  person  or  by  mail,  and  are 
filled  as  are  similar  orders  for  household  supplies,  etc. 

A  buyer  orders  a  horse  as  he  would  a  suit  of  clothes, 
trusting  to  the  skill,  knowledge  and  honor  of  his  dealer 
to  supply  him  with  the  proper  article  for  a  certain  use, 
just  as  when  he  orders  a  dress  coat.  In  the  morning 
mail  will  be  a  letter:  "Mr.  Blank:  Please  send  me  a 
family  horse;1'  or  "Mr.  Blank:  I  require  a  pair  of  car- 
riage horses  (mention ing  perhaps  some  preferred  color), 
at  a  price  not  exceeding  $ — ,"  etc. 

But  in  the  western  part  of  this  country  this  business 
seems  to  have  been  one  which  all  manner  of  sharpers, 
sharks  and  ignorant  knaves  have  considered  a  peculiarly 
inviting  field  for  their  shady  talents.  So  much  has  this 
been  the  case  that  the  occupation  itself  has  become 
somewhat  out  of  favor.  And  this  is  not  wholly  to  be 
wondered  at,  for,  truly  speaking,  a  large  majority  of 
the  so-called  horse-dealers  whom  the  writer  has  seen 

169 


170  ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 

round  town,  know  about  as  much  about  a  horse  as  a 
horse  knows  about  them  (perhaps  less),  or  as  a  dog 
knows  about  his  mother.  And  they  would  be  better  en- 
gaged bucking  wood,  as  they  only  bring  contempt  upoii 
what  is  a  very  respectable  and  deserving  profession  if 
properly  practiced,  and  one  which  can  be  conducted 
on  the  same  business  principles  as  any  other  calling. 

At  the  Union  Stockyards,  indeed,  there  are  reputable 
and  responsible  dealers,  and  the  very  best  horses  that 
have  been  winning  ribbons  at  the  horse  shows  have 
passed  through  their  hands.  But  these  men  are  old  es- 
tablished dealers  in  their  line  and  have  a  place  of  busi- 
ness. Nor  is  it  a  peripatetic  one,  the  dealer  going  about 
peddling  horses  in  the  streets  downtown.  No  one  can 
properly  serve  patrons  in  that  way,  and  those  who  wish 
to  buy  can  be  better  served  and  save  money  by  giving 
an  order,  setting  the  price  they  want  to  pay,  as  in  buy- 
ing a  carriage,  set  of  harness  or  other  merchandise. 

It  is  best  to  buy  direct  through  the  commission  men 
in  preference  to  shippers  who  come  in,  as  the  latter  are 
only  anxious  to  make  sales  and  get  home,  while  the 
commission  men,  on  the  other  hand,  have  their  reputa- 
tion to  keep  up,  and  take  a  much  more  personal  inter- 
est. They  are  all  responsible,  being  under  a  bond  of 
$20,000  to  the  stockyards  company,  and  all  disputes,  if 
any,  are  settled  by  an  arbitration  board.  There  is  also 
a  number  of  bright  salesmen  attached  to  every  commis- 
sion house  at  the  yards  who  keep  their  eyes  open  for  the 
"good  ones."  These  facts,  considered  with  the  number 
of  horses  from  which  to  choose  at  the  yards,  make  it 
the  best  policy  to  place  orders  in  the  way  described,  for 


OF  THE   UNION   STOCKYARDS  171 

carriage  and  saddle  horses  the  same  as  for  draft  horses. 
The  draft  horse  business  is  all  done  in  this  way. 

How  can  you  expect  a  gentleman  and  genuine  busi- 
ness man  to  peddle  his  wares  up  back  alleys  to  show 
them?  Surely  a  dignified  traffic  like  horse  dealing  is 
above  the  level  of  peanut  vending!  A  good  horse  is 
always  worth  money  and  a  little  extra  trouble  to  get 
him*  and  an  order  placed  with  a  reliable  dealer  will 
insure  his  being  furnished  with  an  exactness  equal  to 
that  of  dealings  in  any  other  line.  Another  thing;  it  is 
well  to  place  orders  in  advance,  as  this  gives  stock  time 
to  acclimate,  and  in  many  ways  is  of  advantage  to  both 
buyer  and  dealer. 

It  is  true  that  in  some  cities  and  places  the  business 
of  horse-dealing  is  at  a  rather  low  ebb,  and  is  carried 
on  by  persons  not  too  wise  or  scrupulous,  but  the  class 
I  have  been  speaking  of  are  the  equals  of  the  same  class 
in  any  other  lines,  who  have  a  sense  of  business  honor. 
If  this  profession  were  put,  in  general,  upon  the  same 
basis  as  other  kinds  of  business  it  would  be  found 
that,  as  a  rule,  a  much  better  class  of  men  would  en- 
gage in  it.  -Already,  as  heretofore  stated,  a  nucleus  is 
formed  at  the  stockyards,  composed  of  as  honorable, 
able  and  reliable  a  set  of  men  as  can  be  found  in  any 
business  anywhere. 

Where  do  you  find  a  horse-dealer  failing  in  business? 
Yet  again,  where  is  there  a  class  of  men  who  have 
their  anxiety  and  receive  so  little  profit  for  their  trouble? 
My  readers,  there  are  sharks  in  all  businesses,  but  I 
have  found  fewer  such  in  the  horse  business  than  in 
other  commercial  lines.  To  illustrate:  When  travel- 


172  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

ing  commercially  I  have  known  representatives  of  repu- 
table houses  selling  German  silver-plated  goods  marked 
"Sterling.'1  I  have  seen  men  selling  cloth  made  in  this 
country  for  imported  goods,  etc. 

Men  of  the  former  stamp  have  a  wholesome  respect  for 
their  reputation  and  are  not  dealing  in  horses  today 
and  trading  in  something  else  tomorrow,  and  they  have 
a  knowledge  of  their  business  which  is  gratifying.  The 
writer's  experience  includes  some  very  amusing  ones 
with  so-called  "dealers,"  a  number  of  whom  would  be 
much  better  at  work  on  a  farm  or  behind  a  plow.  Any 
man  can  tell  you  with  "half  an  eye"  when  a  horse  is 
nice-looking,  but  there  are  few  to  find  or  tell  you  his 
defects.  I  have  been  lugged  round  by  numbers  of  these 
wiseacres  to  see  knee-actors!  but,  my  friends  and  read- 
ers, I  have  bought  knee-actors  from  these  same  men 
years  back  who  sold  them  to  me  cheap  because,  they 
said,  they  were  stone-pounders.  I  used  to  buy  "stone- 
pounders"  till  they  got  on  to  the  game. 

In  conclusion:  What  is  an  "expert"  buyer?  The  an- 
swer to  this  is,  there  are  few  men  amongst  dealers,  farm- 
ers and  breeders  who  can  thoroughly  examine  horses. 
It  is  a  gift.  Such  men  are  rare  as  poets,  and,  like  the 
latter,  are  "born  and  not  made."  The  faculty  is  one 
which  may  be  improved  by  cultivation  and  experience, 
but  unless  it  is  in  a  man  no  amount  of  effort  can  bring 
it  out. 

Said  a  mushroom  millionaire  when  told  that  his 
daughter  at  boarding-school  lacked  "capacity" — "Wai, 
I  got  plenty  of  money;  kain'tyou  buy  her  one?"  Alasl 
for  his  thick-witted  offspring,  his  wealth  could  not  help 


OP  THE  UNION  8TOCKYARD8 


173 


her  here.  And  so  it  is  with  the  capacity  of  which  we 
are  speaking.  It  can  be  neither  acquired  nor  bought — 
though  many  dealers  bank  upon  purchasing  this  rare 
quality,  and  find  themselves  wofully  mistaken  [when 
their  dubious  knowledge  is  put  to  the  test  in  a  trade. 
The  touchstone  of  the  true  horse  judge  is  not  and  never 
can  be  theirs. 


A   FAMILIAR    SCENE   AT   THE    STOCKYARDS. 


WILLIE  THE    TELEGEAPH  MESSENGER. 


HERETOFORE  boys  have  not  figured  very  largely  in 
"grown-up"  literature,  though  "Gallagher"  made 
something  of  a  reputation  for  himself  when  introduced 
to  an  admiring  public  a  few  years  ago.  But  the  boy 
who  is  the  subject  of  this  necessarily  short  sketch  could 
give  Gallagher  cards  and  spades  on  enterprise,  breeding, 
intelligence,  gentlemanliness,  and  yet  win  the  game. 
Everybody  knows  Willie  at  the  stockyards,  and  Willie 
knows  everybody;  everybody  likes  Willie  and  Willie 
likes  everybody. 

Willie  is  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  messenger  at 

174 


THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS  175 

the  yards.  He  has  been  at  that  post  of  duty  for  about 
five  years,  and  to  all  who  know  him  it  will  not  seem  ex- 
aggeration to  say  that  he  has  scarcely  an  equal  and  no 
superior  in  his  line.  He  has  a  wonderful  memory — 
never  forgets  a  face  or  a  name — and  has  an  intuition 
little  short  of  marvelous  which  enables  him  to  smell 
people  out  whom  he  wants  in  a  crowd.  He  dodges  in 
and  out  among  the  people  till  he  finds  the  one  he  is 
after;  he  is  always  on  the  run,  and  one  would  suppose 
each  message  he  delivers  to  be  a  matter  of  life  and  death 
from  the  way  he  presses  on  till  the  right  person  is  found. 
No  grass  ever  grows  under  those  flying  feet,  and  as  his 
bright,  handsome  face  and  merry  eyes  flash  past,  and 
his  voice  chimes  out  a  courteous  "Good  morning,  sir," 
he  seems  to  be  a  sort  of  typical  nineteenth-century 
Mercury — minus  the  wings  and  the  caduceus. 

Willie  is  a  true-blue,  "straight"  kind  of  boy,and  you 
can  rely  on  him.  He  is  a  little  gentleman,  eschews 
cigarette  smoking  and  such  harmful  indulgences,  and 
has  already  considerable  money  "to  windward."  He 
is  also  something  of  a  wit  in  his  way  and,  like  all  boys, 
enjoys  a  roguish  prank  now  and  then.  He  is  often  left 
in  charge  of  the  office  while  the  manager  goes  to  lunch, 
and  on  one  such  occasion  an  old  man  came  in  to  send 
a  telegram.  He  asked  Willie  how  the  messages  were 
sent,  and  being  told  they  went  along  the  wire, expressed 
a  desire  to  see  them  go.  For  a  joke  Willie  told  him  to 
"hurry  out  and  he  would  see  one  going."  The  old  man 
rushed  out  in  a  forthwith  manner  to  see  the  sight,  but 
alas  for  his  rustic  hopes,  nothing  was  to  be  seen!  And 
the  only  consolation  he  got  from  Willie  was  that  he 
didn't  go  quick  enough. 


176  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Another  time  when  Willie  was  upholding  the  man- 
agerial dignity,  a  would-be  "fly "countryman,  in  town 
with  a  carload  of  stock,  larruped  into  the  telegraph 
office  and  started  in  to  have  some  fun  with  the  "kid." 
Now,  if  there  is  anything  which  affronts  Willie's  sense 
of  the  fitness  of  things  it  is  to  be  dubbed  "kid"  or 
called  uBub, "  and  both  of  these  offenses  did  the  Jon- 
athan commit  till  Willie's  patience  ran  low.  The  fel- 
low had,  moreover,  an  untidy  appearance  and  an 
unwholesome  odor  about  his  clothing  which  completed 
the  boy's  disgust. 

After  asking  twenty  "smart  Alec"  questions  about 
the  whole  office,  he  finally  settled  into,  "Wai,  Bub,  how 
much  '1  Jt  cost  to  telegraph  a  deespatch  down  to  Punk- 
town?"  "Oh,"  says  Willie,  debonairly,  "we  charge 
most  folks  twenty-five  cents  for  a  ten-word  message,  but 
being  as  you're  a  granger  we'll  let  you  down  easy.  You 
can  send  three  messages  for  a  dollar."  The  stranger 
lost  sight  of  the  overcharge  in  resenting  the  epithet, 
and  snarled: 

"Whut  makes  ye  call  me  a  granger?  I  ain't  got  no 
hayseeds  in  m'  hair." 

"Naw, "  said  long-suffering  Willie,  imitating  the 
rustic's  tone,  "Naw;  but  you've  got  the  soil  on  yuh!" 


BUYING  HORSES. 

HINTS   TO    AMATEURS    AND    SOMETHING   ABOUT    COACHMEN. 

IF  you  have  decided  to  start  out  upon  a  horse-buying 
expedition  on  your  own  responsibility,  to  combine  busi- 
ness  with  pleasure,  remember  first  the  old  maxim, 
that  a  good  horse  is  never  a  bad  color.  It  is  as  difficult 
to  find  two  horses  alike  as  it  is  two  men;  in  all  my 
rather  wide  experience  I  have  seldom  seen  a  matched 
pair.  There  is  a  better  chance  to  get  good  cross  matches, 
and  it  is  better  to  have  them  crossed  than  to  have  a 
pair  that  do  not  mate.  You  cannot  buy  a  horse  as 
you  would  a  bit  of  silk,  and  the  best  matcher  of  goods 
who  ever  haunted  a  bargain  counter  would  find  about  a 
hundred  chances  to  ona  against  success  in  this  line. 
Therefore  don't  ask  the  opinion  of  your  wife,  your  aunt, 
or  your  grandmother  and  their  immediate  relations, 
nor  your  own  friends;  if  you  will  select  a  horse,  the 
soundest  and  of  the  best  conformation,  and  show  him 
to  a  dozen  of  your  friends  each  and  every  one  would  give 
a  different  opinion,  though  they  are  probably  as  ignor- 
ant as  yourself.  Perhaps  one  happens  to  own  a  good 
horse  which  he  picked  up  by  chance,  and  thinks  wis- 
dom on  this  question  will  die  with  him.  Now  if  you 
are  not  conversant  with  the  anatomy  of  a  horse,  you  had 
better  not  try  to  buy  him  on  your  own  judgment,  un- 

177 


178 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


less   you  are   purchasing   from  a  responsible   house  or 
well-known  dealer  who  has  a  reputation  to  uphold. 

But  if  you  are  an  enthusiastic  buyer  on  your  own 
account,  perhaps  the  writer  can  give  you  some  hints. 
After  you  select  the  horse  which  you  think  has  captured 
your  fancy  it  might  be  best  to  have  him  brought  out 
for  a  careful  examination.  If  free  from  defects  he  is  the 
most  likely  to  retain  your  good  opinion,  if  you  are  any- 
thing like  the  writer,  who  always  buys  or  leaves  on  first 
impressions.  But  as  this  might  not  suit  an  amateur, 
some  more  explicit  directions  will  be  in  order.  To  be- 
gin, be  sure  that  he  is  cool,  and  not  in  a  heated  condi- 
tion ;  remember  that  horses  are  subject  to  every  ailment 
and  disease  that  human  flesh  is  heir  to;  that  he  has  tem- 
perament, disposition,  individuality,  and  needs  to  be 
very  carefully  bought.  The  first  thing  you  look  at  is 
his  foot — no  toot,  no  horse;  it 
should  be  on  the  concave  order,  a 
deep  sole  and  not  too  narrow; 
this  denotes  breeding.  Run  your 
hand  down  his  forelegs,  examine 
for  splints;  if  on  the  bone  they 
will  never  hurt  him,  but  if  on  the 
tendons  drop  him  like  a  hot  po- 
tato, no  matter  how  small  the 
splint.  To  save  further  time  and 
trouble  have  him  jogged  quietly 
down  the  floor,  on  stones  if  pos- 
A  CONCAVE  HOOF,  sible,  and  look  for  lameness,  and 
see  if  his  style  of  going  suits  you.  Now  examine  his  cor- 
onets for  side-bones;  take  a  look  at  his  eyes,  and  that 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


179 


very  closely.  Stand  in  front  of  him  to  see  that  he  has  a 
full  chest;  glance  between  his  forelegs  at  his  spavin 
joints;  run  your  hand  over  his  kidneys  and  press  hard  as 


HE  STANDS  SQUARE. 


youdosojpass  behind  him  and  see  that  he  stands  square; 
examine  for  curbs  (a  curb  will  never  hurt  a  horse  after 
he  is  six  years  old);  feel  his  hocks  for  incipient  spav- 


180  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

ins,  or  bruises  on  the  cap  of  his  hocks,  which  require  a 
satisfactory  explanation  from  the  owner;  don't  forget 
to  look  for  thorough-pins  and  bog  spavins;  look  care- 
fully at  his  hips  that  they  are  both  alike;  personally 
I  would  never  buy  an  interfering  horse,  or  a  horse  that 
shows  symptoms  of  it. 

In  the  matter  of  age  four  years  old  is  not  preferable. 
I  had  rather  buy  a  horse  at  eight  than  five,  as  he  is 
then  in  his  prime,  and  his  habits  are  all  developed;  if 
a  horse  has  arrived  at  that  age  and  maintained  his 
soundness,  you  can  rely  upon  his  being  a  good  one  See 
that  your  intended  purchase  is  well  ribbed  up;  long 
backed,  narrow-gutted  horses  are  had  feeders  and  doers, 
and  cannot  stand  their  work.  See  also  that  he  has 
plenty  of  neck,  good,  high  shoulders  and  sloping  back. 
Then  proceeding,  ask  the  holder  of  the  horse  to  walk 
quick  into  his  flank  both  ways,  turning  him  quickly; 
then  back  him  while  you  look  carefully  for  symptoms 
of  springhalt  or  cramps.  If  up  to  this  time  the  horse 
has  borne  inspection  favorably,  put  a  man  on  his  back 
and  gallop  him  as  fast  as  he  will  go  to  test  his  wind  for 
a  whistling  sound.  If  all  right  have  him  put  in  har- 
ness to  see  if  he  has  any  vice  Stable  habits  such  as 
weaving,  wind-sucking,  cribbing  and  halter-pulling 
must  be  left  to  the  veracity  of  the  seller's  word,  as  they 
are  only  to  be  detected  when  the  horse  is  standing 
quietly  in  the  stable.  If  he  fills  the  bill,  buy  him;  good 
horses  are  scarce. 

After  you  get  him  home  use  him  kindly  for  a  few 
weeks.  Don't  use  the  whip;  make  a  friend  of  him. 
Horses  coming  fresh  from  the  country  require  to  be 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  181 

worked  by  degrees  and  very  gradually.  Don't  expect  a 
horse  that  is  fresh  from  the  country  to  play  the  piano; 
if  he  is  good  tempered  he  will  very  soon  get  accustomed 
to  city  sights.  Horses  should  be  treated  as  intelligent 
beings;  they  are  like  men  in  the  amount  of  courage 
they  can  muster  up;  some  are  the  veriest  cowards  and 
others  are  possessed  of  a  dare-devil  spirit. 

Horse  science  has  proven  that  a  clipped  horse  proper- 
ly cared  for  is  even  in  the  coldest  weather,  if  in  con- 
stant use,  far  more  comfortable  than  those  which  are 
allowed  to  retain  their  full  coat  of  hair.  Man  requires 
such  work  of  the  horse  as  to  sweat  him  severely  if  his 
coat  be  long,  and  indeed  it  has  been  found  so  burden- 
some to  a  horse  that  when  driven  for  any  distance  he 
would  blow  quite  seriously,  whereas  after  being  clipped 
he  could  go  without  discomfort.  If  the  long  coat  could 
be  kept  dry  it  would  not  be  objectionable,  but  as  soon 
as  it  becomes  saturated  with  sweat  it  is  a  menace  to 
health.  It  is  necessary,  of  course,  after  the  removal 
of  the  long  coat,  to  provide  a  double  allowance  of  cloth- 
ing, and  avoid  standing  still  out  of  doors  without 
blankets  after  using,  for  any  length  of  time.  Properly 
cared  for,  however,  the  danger  of  a  clipped  horse  tak- 
ing cold  is  much  less  than  when  the  hair  is  long  and 
wet  with  perspiration. 

A  man  who  loves  his  horse,  looking  carefully  to  feed- 
ing and  watering  him,  seldom  has  a  sick  one;  it  is  the 
careless  feeder  whose  horses  often  have  colic  and  like 
disorders  from  improper  and  irregular  feeding,  which 
in  other  stock  would  give  no  bad  results.  Musty  hay, 
oats  and  corn  are  not  n't  for  food.  Bedding  should  be 


182  ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 

supplied  in  abundance  and  not  allowed  to  lie  in  lumps 
or  in  an  uneven  manner,  but  kept  constantly  shaken 
up.  The  bed  should  be  raised  along  the  side  of  the 
stall,  wet  parts  and  droppings  removed  and  replaced 
with  clean  straw.  This  treatment,  with  disinfectants, 
will  make  the  stable  wholesome.  For  large  establish- 
ments that  have  a  number  of  loose  boxes  I  advise  the 
use  of  peat  moss ;  it  is  good  for  the  feet  and  much  cleaner 
and  cheaper  than  straw,  and  does  not  attract  flies. 

Don't  send  your  new  horse  to  the  blacksmith  to  have 
his  feet  cut  down  to  make  them  look  small.  In  the  writ- 
er's experience  many  horses  have  been  ruined  by  the 
smith  cutting  the  foot  to  fit  the  shoe,rather  than  mak- 
ing the  shoe  to  fit  the  foot.  Leave  him  plenty  of  sole; 
never  let  the  knife  be  put  into  it,  the  rasp  being  far 
preferable.  How  would  you  feel  if  you  had  been  wear- 
ing good  sized,  thick  soled  shoes  and  were  put  suddenly 
in  slippers,  and  made  to  run  over  hard  roads? 

Give  your  new  purchase  easy  work;  he  may  have 
come  fresh  from  a  feeding  stable,  and  his  muscles  may 
not  yet  be  hardened.  Should  your  coachman  find  a 
swelling  on  the  horse's  tendons  after  a  drive,  see  that 
he  puts  some  Ellimen's  or  other  good  liniment  on  the 
swollen  parts,  and  ties  a  cold-water  bandage  around  it, 
with  a  dry  flannel  bandage  over  that.  Then  lay  the  horse 
up  for  a  few  days  and  use  your  old  horse,  which, if  you 
are  wise,  you  have  not  yet  sold.  If  the  sick  horse  goes 
off  his  feed  he  has  probably  caught  a  cold,  or  had 
the  acclimating  fever,  when  a  competent  veterinary 
should  be  called. 

Don't  use  your  horses  morning,  noon  and  night.  Both 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  183 

horses  and  coachman  will  serve  you  better  and  last 
longer  if  not  taken  out  on  stormy  nights,  as  will  also 
your  carriage.  It  will  save  you  money  in  the  long  run. 
Now  a  word  about  coachmen.  Don't  change  your 
man  every  three  months;  his  business  is  really  a  profes- 
sion which  must  be  learned  and  practiced, and  in  which 
only  an  intelligent  man  becomes  duly  proficient.  Don't 
ask  him  to  wash  windows,  clean  off  the  steps  or  run 
errands  and  do  odd  jobs  about  the  place.  To  keep  his 
stable  (and  there  are  many  handsome  ones  in  America) 
and  the  equipments,  vehicles  and  horses  in  order  means 
hard  and  steady  all-day  work,  and  will  keep  him  suffi- 
ciently busy — if  he  takes  a  proper  pride  in  his  berth. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  rivalry  among  members  of  the 
fraternity  as  to  who  shall  turn  out  the  finest  looking 
vehicles  and  accouterments  and  best  kept  horses.  If 
you  are  going  away  for  three  months  don't  turn  him 
loose;  it  would  be  wiser,  if  he  suits  you,  to  keep  him 
on  the  pay-roll  and  know  that  the  important  work  in 
his  charge  will  not  go  undone  during  your  absence. 
This,  too,  creates  a  desire  on  his  part  to  take  a  deeper 
and  more  personal  interest  in  the  welfare  of  your  es- 
tablishment, and  there  is  no  question  but  such  a  course 
would  do  away  with  certain  practices  which  have  un- 
fortunately crept  in  through  introduction  by  some  un- 
principled men  of  this  class.  There  will  always  be  a 
few  such  in  every  trade,  and  a  person  of  this  sort  will 
always  try  to  recoup  himself  for  his  loss  of  time  by  ob- 
taining commission  upon  some  sale  or  purchase  which 
will  generally  be  found  to  be  necessary.  When  he 
changes  his  place,  something  will  all  at  once  mysteri- 


184 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


ously  ail  the  horses,  and  they  too  must  be  changed. 
But  it  is  only  due  to  the  faithful  and  responsible  men 
who  fill  these  positions  to  say  that  the  percentage  of 
unreliable  ones  is  singularly  small,  and  doubtless  some 
who  have  fallen  might  not  have  descended  if  sure  of 
being  settled  from  year's  end  to  year's  end  on  good 
behavior.  A  love  of  conscientious  performances  and 
identity  with  his  master's  fortunes  and  interests  will 
do  much  toward  keeping  a  good  man  straight,  and  re- 
claiming a  dishonest  one. 


HE  TAKES  A  PROPER  PRIDE    IN  HIS  BERTH. 


GALLAGHER  AND  BROWN. 

GALLAGHER  is  the  stockyards  detective.  Brown  is  the 
stockyards  gatekeeper.  Gallagher's  occupation  being 
peripatetic  and  Brown's  stationary,  the  two  in  en  inev- 


"KEEP  MUM." 

itably  meet  at   least  once  a  day  in  the  course  of  Gal- 
lagher's perambulations.     This  conversation,  or  some 
very  like  it,  occur  upon  every  such  occasion: 
Gallagher  to  Brown:     "What  do  you  know?" 
Brown  to  Gallagher:  "I   don't  know  nuthin'.   What 
do  you?" 

185 


186 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


Gallagher:  "Nuthin';  only  that  I  have  a  soft  snap. 
I  want  to  hold  some  one  up.  Haven't  done  a  turn  for 
five  years.  I  went  up  to  make  a  grab  on  old  Phil,  the 
'con'  steer,  an'  after  walk  in'  a  mile  found  he'd  been 
dead  six  months.  But  I  have  a  tip,  Brown,  a  sixty  to 
one  shot.  I'll  give  it  to  you  if  you  don't  give  it  away." 

Brown:     "I'll  go  you." 

Gallagher:  "Brown,  up  at  the  yards  there's  the 
squarest,  straigbtest,  soberest  lot  o'  men  anywhere  on 
God's  earth.  Keep  mum.  I'm  going  to  make  a  sneak 
for  awhile.  Keep  cases  on  the  craft  as  well  as  on  the 
gate.  Ta-ta!" 

Brown:     "Ta-ta." 


"WILL  YOU  BUY  A  CURLING  IRON  FOR  YOUR  BEST  GIRL,  SIR?" 


THESE    ARE  NOT  STARVED. 

CARE  AND  CONDITIONING  OF  HORSES. 

DON'T  starve  your  colts!  Feed  them  well  in  winter 
months  and  house  them  warm.  Brood  mares  that  are 
fed  a  fair  amount  of  oats  a  few  months  before  foaling 
will  produce  stronger  and  healthier  foals  than  those 
that  are  only  fed  on  hay.  Fuss  with  the  colts  in  your 
spare  winter  hours;  you  will  find  it  pays  to  get  them 
used  to  the  harness.  And  if  you  attend  to  their  feet  hy 
rasping  there  will  be  fewer  splints.  As  the  colts  come 
along  you  may  observe  a  dead,  rough  appearance  to  their 
coats,  which  is  invariably  caused  by  worms.  To  cure 
this  give  them  half  a  pint  of  raw  linseed  oil,  and  repeat 
in  ten  days,  feeding  on  soft  feed  in  the  interval. 

When  you  are  getting  the  young  stock  ready  for  the 
buyer,  take  them  up  and  stable  them;  blanket  them, 
and  have  them  well  groomed ;  it  pays  to  give  them  plenty 
of  "elbow  grease"  to  make  their  coats  sleek. 

187 


188  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

If  you  have  any  curs  or  mongrels  on  your  farm,  cut 
them  loose  1  it  costs  no  more  to  teed  a  good  colt  than 
a  bad  one.  And  remember  about  feeding — that  to 
stint  your  horses,  especially  those  for  sale,  is  a  "penny 
wise  and  pound  foolish"  policy.  It  will  usually  be 
found  necessary  once  in  a  while  to  mix  a  little  ground 
linseed  cake  with  the  feed. 

A  word  to  you,  too,  about  the  treatment,  of  the  stock. 
Whipping  a  shying,  frightened,  or  balky  horse  is  sense- 
less and  cruel.  Pain  does  not  relieve  fright,  but  the 
assuring  voice  of  a  kind  master  does.  Whipping  will 
make  a  confirmed  shyer  of  the  horse,  for  he  will  connect 
the  pain  with  his  fear.  It  would  bo  well  if  every  one 
owning,  using,  caring  for,  or  dealing  in  horses,  could 
be  made  to  realize  the  essentially  human  character  of 
most  of  the  horse-traits  observable.  If  this  could  be 
accomplished  the  effect  should  be  to  enlist  every  such 
person  a  volunteer  member  of  a  world-wide  humane 
society,  and  extinguish  forever  the  foolish  and  wicked 
disposition  to  abuse  and  belabor  a  horse  which  now 
possesses  many  who  should  know  better.  It  has  ever 
been  a  dictum  of  the  writer  (than  whom  scarcely  any 
man  has  had  wider  horse  experience),  "Always  treat  a 
horse  with  kindness;  never  abuse  a  horse."  And  the 
practice  of  this  virtue  is  more  than  its  own  reward;  the 
animal  will  reward  you.  For  this  he  will  love,  serve 
and  be  a  faithful  friend  to  you. 

Many  a  fractious  or  balky  horse  has  been  transformed 
by  a  little  kindness.  Speak  to  such  a  one  gently  and 
soothingly,  and,  if  frightened,  reassuringly.  He  soon 
learns  your  voice  and  knows  it  as  well  as  a  human  be- 
ing dees.  He  will  interpret  its  every  tone,  and  be  guided 


OF  THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS  189 

thereby.  When  he  has  driven  you  well,  give  him  a 
kindly  pat,  a  hearty  word,  and  an  apple  to  eat,  or  a  bit 
of  sugar,  and  notice  how  almost  human  is  his  pride 
and  gratification.  Remember  that  this  is  a  love  and 
fealty  which  can  never  be  bought.  You  cannot  tempt 
him  with  gauds  or  any  mercenary  reward.  The  value 
of  these  he  cannot  know,  but  he  will  give  you  love  for 
love,  and  that  in  no  stinted  measure. 

The  writer  once  bought  for  eighty  dollars  a  fine  horse 
which  had  previously  sold  for  $1,500,  but  whose  temper 
had  been  ruined  by  injudicious  handling.  To  drive 
her  at  first  strained  the  muscles  almost  beyond  endur- 
ance, and  she  jumped  at  every  trifle.  In  a  week's  time 
through  kindness  and  sympathy  she  was  brought  to  go 
boldly  past  the  object  of  her  worst  fears,  and  could  be 
driven  with  the  fingers  of  one  hand. 

Have  your  horses  nicely  shod  in  front,  and  when  you 
go  to  town  take  along  your  best  horses  and  your  Sun- 
day harness.  Neither  one  will  "wear  out"  very  readily 
if  they  are  the  right  sort,  and  appearances  go  a  long 
way.  Take  a  wholesome  pride  and  pleasure  in  having 
your  outfit  all  looking  spick  and  span. 

Make  it  your  business — and  take  pride  in  doing  it — 
to  show  your  stock  to  the  local  liverymen  and  veteri- 
naries,  and  if  you  have  something  good  they  are  likely  to 
soon  send  you  plenty  of  buyers. 

Don't  breed  to  a  cheap  stallion  merely  because  it  is 
convenient.  Subscribe  for  The  Horseman,  Horse  Re- 
view, Drover's  Journal,  Breeder's  Gazette,  The  Rider 
and  Driver,  or  some  other  good  sporting  paper,  and 
know  what  is  going  on  in  the  stock  world. 


"THE  DUKE  OF  SOMERSET." 

A  GOOD  joke  is  told  on  William  Potter  in  connection 
with  the  late  Madison  Square  Horse  Show,  New  York. 

New  York  is  William's  former  home,  and  having 
been  absent  from  there  a  number  of  years  he  decided 


"THE  DUKE." 

on  this  auspicious  occasion  to  make  it  a  visit  and  astonish 
the  natives.  So  giving  orders  to  his  good  wife  to  have  his 
nether  toggeries  creased  and  his  Prince  Albert  packed, 
he  hied  him  away  to  the  Lake  Shore  depot,  and  with  a 
merry  smile  to  the  clerk  called  out,  "First  class  and 
sleeper  to  New  York!" 

Arriving  at  the  metropolis,   he  attired  himself  in  his 
new  and  superciliously  correct  dress  suit,  none   other 

being  fashionable  at  that  swell  horse  show. 

193 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  191 

As  he  entered  the  show  building  he  was  observed  by 
a  bunch  of  cockney  coachmen,  one  of  whom  remarked, 
"Get  on  to  his  nibs." 

"Who  is  he?"  asked  another. 

"Hush  I  Why,  that's  the  Duke  of  Somerset, "  an- 
swered a  third. 

The  story  passed  around  and  William  became  the 
cynosure  of  all  eyes.  William,  who  is  a  true  type  of 
an  old-country  dealer,  and  is  as  fond  of  a  joke  as  any 
one,  kept  it  up,  and  that  is  how  he  gained  the  sobriquet 
of  the  Duke  of  Somerset.  Either  under  his  own  or 
assumed  name  he  will  always  be  ready  to  assist  you — 
of  course  on  a  commission,  which  will  be  money  well 
laid  out.  Long  and  prosperous  life  to  William  Potter, 
alias  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  than  whom  no  man  in 
America  is  a  better  judge  of  fine  horses! 


.     SELLING. 

ADVICE  TO  COUNTRY  SHIPPERS  TO  THE  HORSE  MARKET. 

BEFORE  leaving  home  write  for  the  state  of  the  market 
and,  if  possible,  take  advantage  of  the  time  when  large 
combination  sales  are  to  be  held,  and  you  then  get  the 
benefit  of  their  extensive  advertising.  Write  to  all  your 
acquaintances  in  advance,  giving  them  a  general  knowl- 
edge of  what  you  are  bringing.  Don't  be  afraid  of  a 
few  stamps  to  your  friends;  they  can  do  some  advertis- 
ing for  you.  Put  your  horses  in  nice  condition — con- 
dition tells,  and  good  grooming  goes  a  long  way.  Don't 
ship  any  rough  coated  or  thin  horses,  as  they  are  not 
wanted  at  auction  sales  and  do  not  pay  to  ship. 

Another  thing.  You,  my  friend,  have  felt,  without 
doubt,  the  effects  of  a  draught  from  an  open  car  window 
or  door  on  a  train  running  forty  miles  an  hour.  Well, 
how  do  you  suppose  your  stock  get  along  in  the  ordinary 
car  in  which  horses  are  shipped?  If  you  area  wise  man 
you  will  order  an  Arm's  palace  car,  where  the  animals 
will  be  as  comfortable  as  if  in  their  own  stable,  and  can 
be  attended  to  thoroughly,  landing  as  well  and  hearty 
as  when  they  left  home. 

These  cars  are  fitted  up  to  hold  eighteen  horses,  and 
the  small  extra  charge  will  bean  investment  well  made 
and  which  will  amply  repay  you,  as  they  arrive  with- 
out sickness,  shrinkage,  or  car-bruises.  How  often  do 
you  hear  the  auctioneer  cry  out, about  a  valuable  horse 

192 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


193 


that  was  shipped  as  sound  as  a  dollar,  "Serviceably 
sound!  Gar-bruised!"  when  otherwise  the  sign  "Sound" 
would  have  been  hung  up!  This  means  a  matter  of  $30 
or  $50  difference  in  his  price,  and  is  worth  considering. 
Don't  forget  to  bring  along  your  warm  blankets  in 
winter,  and  summer 
clothing  in  311  miner. 
After  you  arrive  at 
your  desti  nation 
have  your  horses  put 
away  quietly  ;see  that 
they  have  a  nice, 
warm  bran-mash  and 
if  they  have  come  a 
long  journey,  under 
no  condition  show 
them  to  any  one,  as 
they  are  not  up  to 
themselves.  Many  a 
good  sale  is  lost  be- 
cause of  anxiety  to 
sell  the  moment  of 
arrival.  Be  firm  in 
this,  and  remember 
that  "first  impres- 
sions to  a  buyer  go 
a  long  way."  Your 
first  business  upon 
arriving  should  be  to  "CAN  i  SELL  YOU  SOMETHING,  SIR?" 
have  your  horses  trimmed  by  an  expert  trimmer;  trim- 
ming gives  a  finish  to  a  horse  as  much  as  a  clean  shave 
does  to  a  man. 


194  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

When  your  horses  are  fit  to  show,  be  up  bright  and 
early  for  business,  and  don't  refuse  a  profitable  offer, 
remembering  always  that  "a  bird  in  hand  is  worth  two 
in  the  bush."  At  the  same  time  it  is  well  to  always 
ask  more  than  you  are  prepared  to  accept,  as  a  buyer 
will  almost  invariably  want  to  buy  cheaper.  You  can 
come  down  gracefully,  but  you  cannot  go  up. 

When  you  come  to  town  to  sell  horses,  sell  horses — 
don't  go  downtown  to  buy  your  best  girl  a  frock;  you 
can  do  that  when  the  last  "tail-ender"  is  gone,  also  "see 
the  elephant"  and  "fight  the  tiger."  Don't  leave  your 
business  to  a  substitute;  stay  right  alongside  of  your 
horses,  never  leaving  them  except  for  meals,  and  mak- 
ing that  time  as  short  as  possible.  Buyers  like  to  run 
through  the  stable  when  it  is  quiet.  Then  again  you 
both  have  more  time  to  talk.  Always  "carry  a  whip  in 
your  hand,  and  have  handy  a  neat  show-bridle  and  brush 
to  smooth  the  manes  of  the  horses,  and  when  they  are 
trotted  out  the  whip  comes  handy,  as  the  animals  are 
apt  to  be  sluggish  after  a  journey,  and  want  waking  up. 

Keep  your  horses  up  in  their  stalls;  buyers  sometimes 
miss  a  good  horse  in  rushing  through  the  stables  through 
the  horse's  hanging  his  head,  and  thus  not  taking  the 
passer's  eye.  Be  on  hand  at  all  times  to  answer  ques- 
tions, and  don't  be  afraid  to  accost  people  who  pass 
and  repass.  Don't  judge  a  man  by  his  clothes,  and  be 
pleasant  to  all,  even  the  stable  lads;  a  kind  word  now 
and  then,  and  an  occasional  tip  is  never  thrown  away 
— they  can  all  do  you  a  good  turn  even  if  they  them- 
selves don't  want  to  buy.  Do  I  see  you  smiling,  sir? 
No  matter;  they  can  do  you  some  good.  Civility  costs 
nothing,  as  the  Dutch  say  of  paint, 


OF  THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS 


195 


Have  your  bridle  put  on  the  pick  of  your  lot  and  trot 
him  out.  You  cannot  do  this  too  often,  even  though 
it  is  a  little  trouble,  for  it  attracts  attention  and  you 
do  not  know  who  may  be  around.  It  often  leads  to 
business.  So  don't  wait  to  be  asked  to  pull  him  out, 
but  do  it  often  of  your  own  accord,  especially  if  you  see 
likely  looking  buyers  about.  Don't  misrepresent  your 
horses;  tell  the  honest  truth  and  you  will  make  friends. 
If  you  are  not  a  thorough  judge  of  a  sound  horse  you 
should  not  be  in  the  business. 

Lastly, an  intelligent  dealer  who  attends  to  this  busi- 
ness in  a  proper  spirit  will  sell  his  shipment  at  a  price 
which  will  well  recompense  him  for  his  trouble. 


A    CLEVELAND  BAY    STATE  CARRIAGE  HORSE  IN  THE    OLDEN 

TIMES. 


THE  ITINERANT  BARBER  SHOP. 

THERE  are  eight  or  nine  crews  of  horse  harbors  at  the 
yards,  and  they  are  important  features  there.  They 
do  the  transformation  act  on  the  country  horses  shipped 
to  the  yards  to  be  sold. 


PUTTING    RIBBONS  IN  HIS  MANE. 

Country  horses  usually  come  in  with  a  ragged  fore- 
lock, a  mane  which  straggles  over  both  sides  of  the 
neck,  long  hair  on  their  legs,  and  rough  coats.  The 
first  thing  the  bright  shipper  does  is  to  take  his  "string" 
around  to  the  barber  and  have  them  trimmed,  and 
the  second  thing  he  does  is  to  hie  himself  to  the  near- 
est tonsorial  artist  and  get  a  clean  shave. 

196 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  197 

When  the  shipper  and  his  horses  meet  again  they 
don't  know  each  other.  The  horses  have  smooth,  shiny 
coats,  their  legs  are  clean  and  sleek  to  look  at;and  they 
have  nice  manes  falling  evenly  over  one  side  of  the  neck 
— and  somehow  the  neck  looks  a  gocd  deal  more  arched 
that  way — and  there  are  bows  of  bright  ribbon  tied  in 
the  rippling  locks,  and  bright  ribbons  are  in  the  neatly 
braided  tails;  while  the  shipper  himself  is  spick  and 
span  from  his  recent  "brush-up." 

"Golly,"  says  the  shipper,  when  lie  sees  the  horses, 
"I  didn't  know  them  horses  could  look  like  that! 
Ought  to  bring  a  good  price  lookin'  so  fine." 

The  horses  gaze  at  their  owner  and  nudge  each  other 
as  much  as  to  say,  "Gosh!  Didn't  know  our  boss  was 
as  good  lookin'  as  that!  But  ho  don't  come  up  to  us 
yet;  he  ain't  got  no  ribbons  in  Lis  mane." 


THE  WIDOW  OF  THE  DECEASED. 


SALE  —  A  widow  lady,  recently  bereaved,  will 
•^•^'sell  her  late  husband's  fast  trotting  mare,  RosieR; 
cost  in  Kentucky  .f  3,000.  Rosie  R  is  sound,  does  not  shy  or 
wear  boots  ;  has  no  record  ;  can  be  driven  at  the  top  of  her 
speed  by  a  timid  person  in  '30.  Price  to  any  one  who  will  give 
her  a  good  home,  $350  T\vo  weeks  'trial  allowed.  Apply 
at  stables,  rear  4737  Ketchem  Blvd. 

IT  is  only  an  advertisement.  A  great  many  people 
notice  it.  Some  read  it  casually,  as  they  would  the  ad. 
of  a  strong  German  girl  who  wants  a  situation  as  gen- 
eral houseworker;  others,  generally  sporting  men,  laugh 
when  they  read  it,  growing  quite  hilarious  as  they  tell 
each  other  reminiscences  which  seem  in  some  way  to  bear 
upon  the  advertisement;  a  third  class  read  it,  read  it 
again,  and  then  call  on  their  wives  to  pack  their  valises 
at  once,  as  they  must  catch  a  train.  The  latter  class  is 
composed  of  country  people  and  city  merchants  who 
think  a  good  deal  about  fast  horses,  but  know  very  little 
about  them. 

A  well  known  and  prosperous  merchant  sits  at  his  Sun- 
day morning  breakfast  in  a  large  city  not  a  hundred 
miles  from  Chicago.  He  is  lingering  luxuriously  over 
his  coffee  and  Sunday  morning  paper.  He  reads  the 
political  news  first  and  then  the  foreign  news.  The  ad. 
sheet  is  a  page  he  never  looks  at  except  when  he  wants 
something  in  particular.  Just  now  he  wants  some- 
thing in  particular.  The  recently  bereaved  widow's  ad. 
catches  his  eye.  He  hurriedly  gulps  down  his  coffee 
and  hastens  to  the  telephone.  "East,  105,"  he  says, 

198 


UNION  STOCKYARDS 


199 


and  a  minute  later:  "Hello,  Lowell,  be  at  the  club  at 
11:15  sharp,  will  you?  Think  I've  found  the  snap  we 
want.  All  right.  Good-bye." 

At  11:15  sharp  our  merchant  and  Lowell  meet  at  the 
club.  "See  that,"  says  the  merchant,  throwing  down 
the  paper.  "I  think  that  is  about  the  horse  we  want." 

Lowell  looks  at  it  critically,  with  the  air  of  a  man 
who  is  called  upon  to  prove  his  judgment.  The  mer- 
chant thinks  Lowell  is  horse  wise.  Lowell  thinks  so 
too — only  more  so.  "Yes,  that  looks  good.  But  if  you 
want  it  you'll  have  no  time  to  lose.  Better  run  up  on 
the  seven  train  in  the  morning."  That  suits  our  mer- 
chant, and  by  10:80  Monday  morning  our  two  friends 
are  in  a  hansom  driving  post  haste  to  4787  Ketchem 
Boulevard. 


'GO  ABOUND  AND  SEE  MY  MAN  JOHN." 


200  ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 

Their  pasteboards  are  presented  to  the  recently  be- 
reaved widow,  who  cpmes  to  the  door  in  deepest  and  swel- 
lest  weeds,  with  a  winning  smile  lighting  up  the  weepy 
pallor  of  her  countenance.  "I  must  ask  you  to  go  around 
and  see  my  man  John,"  she  says  in  a  gracious  voice  in 
which  there  is  a  pathetic  sound  of  tears.  Our  two  men 
almost  prostrate  themselves  in  apologizing  for  their  in- 
trusion upon  the  charming  little  widow's  grief.  They 
feel  as  they  betake  themselves  to  the  stables  that  they 
must  be  a  born  combination  of  the  blockhead  and  brute 
to  have  thought  for  a  moment  of  seeing  the  widow  in 
person  about  the  horse.  Bad  enough  that  she  must  part 
with  her  husband's  pet  that  she  shouldn't  be  bothered 
with  selling  it,  too. 

"My  man  John"  is  a  most  obliging  and  well  trained 
coachman.  When  he  puts  his  heels  together  and  touches 
his  crepe-banded  hat  respectfully  the  men  from  the 
large  city  not  a  hundred  miles  from  Chicago  feel  that 
be  is  the  soul  of  honesty.  The  stable  is  magnificent, and 
there  is  a  display  of  costly  equipages  and  glittering  har- 
ness. Rosie  R  is  found  in  a  padded  stall,  and  is  a  good- 
looking  specimen  of  the  equine  race.  The  two  men  fancy 
they  see  points  worth  $3,000  all  over  her.  They  call  up 
a  picture  of  Rosie  R  in  a  glittering  harness,  drawing  a 
swell  little  carriage  with  the  sweet  little  widow  hand- 
ling the  ribbons.  And  then  they  feel  that  it  was  beastly 
for  her  husband  to  die  and  leave  her  without  the  means 
to  keep  Rosie  R.  They  also  see  in  imagination  them- 
selves breaking  the  record  of  the  fastest  horse  in  their 
city  with  Rosie  R,  scooping  up  the  shekels  from  the 
bovs. 


OP   THE   UNION   STOCKYARDS 


'MY  MAN  JOHN." 


Lowell,  remembering  his  horse  wisdom, 
slips  a  ten  dollar  bill  into  John's  hand  for 
points  on  Rosie  R.  John  knows  a  great 
deal  about  Rosie  R,  for  he  was  his  late 
dear  master's  right-hand  man  in  horse 
matters,  but  he  doesn't  know  a  single, 
solitary  point  in  Rosie  R's  disfavor.  Oui'| 
merchant  is  wonderfully  impressed  with 
her,  but  says  he  wants  to  see  her  trot 
before  taking  her.  So  John  has  her  in  a 
buggy  in  a  jiffy  and  starts  down  the  boule- 
vard. Our  friends  are  ignorant  of  the  city 
ordinances  regarding  fast  driving  on  the  Chicago  boule- 
vards, so  when  a  policeman  shouts  at  them  about  half 
a  block  from  the  starting  place,  "You  there,  I'll  pull 
you  in  for  furious  drivin'  on  the  strate,  shure,  ef  ye 
don't  sthop!"  they  are  nonplussed,  but  they  don't  say 
anything.  They  wouldn't  for  the  world  have  John  think 
that  the  city  not  a  hundred  miles  from  Chicago  is  not 
fully  as  big  as  Chicago,  and  possessed  of  mysterious 
regulations  against  "furious  drivin'  on  the  strate." 

As  they  drive  back  to  the  stable  again  another  buyer 
is  coming  around  the  corner  of  the  house  in  searcli  of  "my 
man  John."  He  is  evidently  an  expert  on  horseflesh, 
for  it  doesn't  take  him  long  to  decide  that  Rosie  R  is 
all  and  more  than  she  is  said  to  be,  and  he  signifies  his 
eagerness  to  possess  her.  Our  merchant  grows  anxious. 
He  would  like  to  have  seen  her  trot,  but  it  won't  do 
to  let  this  new  buyer  get  ahead  of  him  and  get  her.  He 
makes  signs  to  John  not  to  be  in  a  hurry;  Lowell  makes 
signs  too.  But  John  is  in  a  corner  evidently  arranging 


202  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

terms  with  the  new  buyer,  and  is  blind  to  signs  Our 
merchant  becomes  more  anxious  as  he  sees  John  taking 
down  Kosie  R's  silver  mounted  harness.  It's  now  or 
not  at  all,  and  he  says  conclusively,  "I'll  take  her." 
John  is  all  regrets  for  the  new  gentleman's  disappoint- 
ment, and  expresses  them  as  profusely  as  his  great  def- 
erence will  allow.  "But,  you  see,  sir,"  he  concludes, 
"these  gentlemen  came  first. "  The  gentlemen  who  came 
first  uiss  the  wink  which  accompanies  this  remark  as 
John  prepares  Rosie  R  for  her  departure.  A  little  while 
later  $850  is  in  John's  pocket,  while  Rosie  R  and  a  re- 
ceipt for  her  price  are  in  the  possession  of  the  gentle- 
men from  the  large  city  not  a  hundred  miles  from 
Chicago,  where  they  are  going  to  astonish  the  natives 
with  their  trotting  snap. 

When  they  are  well  out  of  sight  John  and  the  new 
buyer  hie  themselves  to  the  house,  where  they  find  the 
weepy  widow  convulsed,  not  with  weeping,  but  with 
laughter.  John  and  the  new  buyer  join  the  chorus;  they 
open  a  bottle  of  wine,  and  the  trio  drink  to  the  speed  of 
Rosie  R  and  the  happiness  of  the  sucker  who  is  born 
every  minute.  The  bottle  disposed  of,  the  widow  dons 
her  weepy  expression,  the  "new  buyer"  disappears 
around  the  corner,and  John  brings  forth  another  horse 
from  another  part  of  the  stable  and  puts  her  in  Rosie 
R's  padded  stall. 

In  a  little  while  around  the  corner  of  the  house  comes 
a  man, evidently  from  the  country,  perspiring  profusely 
in  his  eagerness  to  get  there,  who  has  been  referred 
by  the  widow  to  "my  man  John."  The  new  Rosie  R  is 
trotted  out.  The  man  from  the  country  likes  her,  but 


208 

is  inclined  to  insist  upon  the  "two  weeks'  trial  al- 
lowed." Just  at  this  juncture  the  "new  buyer"  swings 
around  the  corner  of  the  house.  He  is  delighted  with 
the  new  Rosie  R.  He  remarks  to  the  man  from  the 
country,  as  John  trots  her  up  and  down,  "That  mare 
will  make  another  Maud  S,  if  you  put  her  on  the  race 
track."  The  man  from  the  country  is  gullible  but  not 
guileless,  and  as  his  intention  is  to  get  a  horse  to  trot 
at  the  races,  this  remark  appeals  to  him  mightily.  In 
imagination  he  already  sees  himself  on  a  sulky  behind 
Rosie  R's  flying  heels,  coming  in  first  on  the  homestretch 
amidst  the  plaudits  of  the  farmers. 

Still,  he  would  like  to  see  her  trot  before  paying  out 
his  money.  The  new  man,  on  the  contrary,  evidently 
feels  quite  safe  in  his  knowledge  of  horses,  and  begins 
to  close  the  bargain.  The  man  from  the  country  slides 
up  to  John's  ear  and  says,  "Five  dollars  for  yourself  if 
you  let  me  have  her."  John  is  again  very  sorry  for  the 
new  buyer.  "But  the  other  gentleman  came  first,  and 
you  know,  sir,  it's  'first  come,  first  served.'" 

And  so  the  game  goes  on  all  day.  As  many  as  a 
dozen  Rosie  R's  occupy  the  padded  stall  in  succession. 
In  the  evening  the  widow,  recently  bereaved,  the  "new 
buyer"  and  "my  man  John"  vacate  the  premises.  They 
take  with  them  a  hall  rug,  a  hall  chair  and  a  hall  tree. 
These  constitute  the  whole  furniture  of  the  house. 
They  also  take  with  them  two  or  three  thousand  dol- 
lars, the  result  of  one  day's  work. 

This  is  the  modus  operandi  of  one  of  the  many  sorts 
of  confidence  games  played  in  a  great  city.  This  game 
is  so  old  that  there  is  hardly  any  excuse  for  its  victims 


204  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

The  fact  that  it  is  widely  and  successfully  played  with 
impunity  proves  how  gullible  mankind  is,  and  how 
averse  to  making  its  folly  known  when  it  is  duped. 
The  "widow,  recently  bereaved,'*  is  more  often  than 
not  the  wife  of  "my  man  John,"  and  the  "new  buyer" 
is  a  confederate.  Even  the  policeman  on  the  corner  gets 
a  bit  of  the  "swag"  to  be  on  hand  at  the  right  moment 
to  threaten  arrast  for  "furious  drivin'  on  the  strate" 
when  "Rosie  R"  is  taken  out  to  be  speeded  on  the 
boulevard.  The  swell  residence  is  rented;  or  maybe 
only  the  key  has  been  obtained  from  the  unsuspecting 
agent.  The  hall  is  furnished  to  allow  the  prospective 
purchasers  a  glimpse  of  a  furnished  interior  as  the 
"widow"  opens  the  door  and  refers  them  to  "my  man 
John."  The  stable  is  hastily  fitted  up  for  the  occasion 
with  swagger  carriages  and  harnesses.  The  Rosie  R's 
sold  have  very  likely  never  trotted  fast  enough  in  their 
lives  to  keep  themselves  warm.  They  are  bought  cheap, 
probably  the  most  any  one  of  them  cost  being  $75. 

Once  in  a  great  while  the  dupes  kick.  Sometimes 
they  write  their  grievance  to  the  "widow"  and  some- 
times they  come  back  with  the  horse.  If  they  write 
they  get  no  answer,  and  if  they  come  back  they  find  the 
swell  residence  vacated.  The  police  are  appealed  to, 
but  the  police  can't  help  them  —  at  least  they  never  do. 

Sometimes,  instead  of  the  sale  by  the  recently  be- 
reaved widow,  it  is  an  administrator's  sale.  Then  the 
advertisement  is  long  and  grandiloquent: 


SALE  —  Administrator's  sale,  the  contents  of  a 
"^"^  private  stable,  consisting  of  the  following-  desirable 
horses:  Mambrino  Girl,  by  Red  Wilkes,  out  of  Mambrino 
Patchen  mare;  is  six  years  old,  15.3%  high.  Has  shown 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  205 

private  trials  better  than '30;  has  no  public  record.  Fear- 
less of  any  object ;  does  not  shy  or  pull ;  safe  for  the  most 
timid  person  to  drive  at  height  of  her  speed.  She  wears  no 
boots  nor  weights.  A  grand  mare  in  company,  single  or 
to  the  pole.  Time  shown  to  purchaser.  Also  trotting  geld- 
ing Billy  Brown,  seven  years  old,  15%  hands;  will  trot  heat 
better  than  30;  he  has  no  public  record,  but  has  been  driven 
by  his  late  owner  in  showtime.  He  wears  nothing  but 
quarter  boots.  No  horse  jockeys  need  apply,  as  the  object 
is  not  the  price  these  horses  will  bring,  but  to  get  them  out 
of  city  to  good  homes  where  they  will  not  be  tracked  or 
campaigned.  To  be  sold  at  the  same  time,  one  Brewster 
side-bar  %-seat;  top  buggy,  pole  and  shafts;  one  speeding 
cutter;  one  set  road  double  harness  by  Duncan,  New  York; 
beside  all  other  articles  pertaining  to  stables.  Address  C.  K. 
HARRIS,  110-111  Cheetyoo  Bldg. 

When  this  long-winded  ad.  appears  there  is,  instead 
of  the  swell  residence  inhabited  by  the  widow,  a  sump- 
tuous suite  of  offices  in  an  expensive  downtown  office 
building, occupied  by  a  gentleman  of  imposing  presence. 
On  the  outer  door  is  an  inscription  like  this: 


C.  K.  HARRIS 

Real  Estate,  Mortgages,    Loans,  Bonds 
Burbank  Estate 


In  the  anteroom  stands  a  boy  in  elegant  livery.  It 
is  the  duty  of  this  "Buttons"  to  impress  upon  the  call- 
ers— usually  church  elders,  slick  would-be  sports  from 
the  country,  or  smart  Alecs  with  the  wisdom  of  Solo- 
mon from  the  city — the  busy  importance  of  his  master. 
When  the  caller  makes  known  his  business  Buttons  re- 
fers him  to  "my  man  John,"  who  is  an  indispsusable 
adjunct  to  this  game,  no  matter  what  the  accessories. 
John,  with  many  scrapes  and  bows,  ushers  the  caller 
into  a  splendidly  furnished  inner  office,  where  the  gen- 


206  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

tletnan  of  imposing  presence  is  found  busily  engaged  in 
filling  in  checks  with  no  less  than  four  figures.  He 
doesn't  deign  to  look  up  when  John  enters;  he  is  ap- 
parently quite  too  occupied  with  business  involving 
thousands,  if  not  millions,  to  heed  the  entrance  of  his 
man.  John  stands  respectfully  waiting  permission  to 
epeak.  At  last  the  great  man  tears  out  a  check,  and 
touching  his  bell  imperiously,  brings  "Buttons"  scud- 
ding in.  "Give  this  check  on  the  First  National  to 
White;  tell  him  to  settle  Smith  &  Jones'  claim,  and 
bring  the  other  $2,000  to  me;  tell  him  to  hurry  up. 
Now,  John,  what  do  you  want?" 

John's  head  ducks  nearly  to  his  toes  in  a  profound 
bow  as  he  announces:  "Here's a  gentleman,  sir,  wants 
to  buy  Mambrino  Girl,  sir." 

"Oh,  I  can't  talk  horse  today,  John.  I'm  too  busy — 
too  busy  to  say  a  word  about  it,  I  tell  you.  Take  the 
gentleman  out  and  show  him  the  horse.  Pardon  me, 
sir,"  and  the  gentleman  of  imposing  presence  turns  his 
head  half  way  toward  his  caller,  "I  am  too  busy  today 
to  talk  about  this  matter,  but  my  man  John  here  will 
show  you  the  mare."  The  caller,  who  may  be  consid- 
erable of  a  swell  himself  when  he  is  at  home,  is  so  im- 
pressed by  this  sumptuously  surrounded  great  man  that 
he  forgets  to  be  offended  at  the  scant  courtesy  with 
which  he  is  relegated  to  the  hands  of  John. 

John  is  equal  to  the  occasion, and  conducts  the  caller 
to  a  stylish  carriage  conveniently  waiting,  and  caller 
and  carriage  are  whirled  over  the  boulevards  behind  a 
pair  of  high  steppers  which  set  the  caller  speculating 
as  to  their  value.  John  is  talkative,  however,  once  out- 


207 

side  his  master's  presence,  and  engages  the  caller  with 
a  description  of  his  late  master,  "Mr.  Burbank's," 
wealth  and  appreciation  of  fine  horses.  According  to 
John,  uMr.  Burbauk"  thought  no  price  too  high  to  pay 
for  a  horse  that  suited  him.  "There  wa'n't  no  better 
judge  of  fine  horses  in  the  country  than  Mr.  Burbank," 
he  goes  on.  "It's  different,  now,  with  Mr.  Harris;  he 
don't  know  much  about  horses;  he's  a  damn  fool;  he's 
all  for — see  that  brown  stone  over  there  (pointing  to 
P.  D.  Armour's  million  dollar  residence)?  That's  part 
of  the  Burbank  estate.  Mr.  Harris,  he's  all  for  dogs. 
Paid  $1,800  for  a  dog  yesterday.  That's  nothing  for  him ; 
he  paid  nearly  three  times  that  for  a  pair  of  mastiffs  last 
winter.  There's  a  house  belongs  to  Mr.  Harris,  worth 
about  a  million  and  a  halt'.  Mr.  Burbank  had  the  finest 
string  of  trotters  I  ever  see,  and  I've  seen  a  good  many, 
being  with  Mr.  Burbank  about  fifteen  years  last  De- 
cember, just  before  he  died.  I  guess  I  know  about  as 
much  about  hbrses  myself  as  any  man  in  the  state. 
Here  we  are,  sir,"  and  the  carriage  rolls  up  before  a 
handsome  stable. 

As  the  caller  follows  John  into  the  stable  he  is  daz- 
zled by  the  broad  view  he  gets  of  a  carriage  room  fairly 
a-glitter  with  swell  equipages  and  silver-mounted  har- 
ness. Mambrino  Girl  is  led  out  for  his  inspection,  and 
she  is  so  well  groomed  and  so  respectfully  handled  that 
he  is  unconsciously  convinced  that  she  is  indeed  a  val- 
uable animal,  although  upon  first  sight  she  really  does 
not  look  much  better  than  his  own  filly  at  home,  upon 
whom  he  has  always  looked  with  some  contempt  for  her 
snail-like  pace.  But  then,  he  reflects,  you  can't  always 


208  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

judge  by  appearances.  He  says  he  would  like  to  see 
Mambrino  Girl  trot.  Somehow,  just  as  John  is  on  the 
point  of  gratifying  his  desire,  a  very  swell  looking  man 
appears  on  the  scene.  The  swell  looking  man  has  come 
to  look  at  Mambrino  Girl;  he  knows  Mambrino  Girl 
well;  he  also  knows  John  well — John  touches  his  hat 
to  him  most  deferentially — and  was  an  intimate  friend 
of  Mr.  Burbank.  John  asks  the  caller  in  a  whisper  if 
he  knows  Mr.  Potter  Palmer,  or  Mr.  Vanderbilt  or 
Montgomery  Sears,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  if  he  does 
not  he  is  at  once  introduced.  The  caller  has  seen  pic- 
tures of  the  gentleman  named  and  the  swell  looking 
man  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  pictures.  Of 
course  it  never  occurs  to  him  that  the  swell  looking 
man  has  been  made  a  confederate  of  the  gentleman  of 
imposing  presence  and  of  "my  man  John"  just  for  the 
monej7  value  of  his  striking  resemblance  to  some  prom- 
inent millionaire. 

Naturally  he  doesn't  doubt  Mr.  — let  us  say  Vander- 
bilt— when  he  talks  of  having  sat  behind  Mambriuo  Girl 
speeding  at  2:80.  That  would  be  obviously  absurd. 
Mr.  Vanderbilt  doesn't  exactly  want  Mambrino  Girl 
himself — he  already  has  so  many  fast  horses — but  he 
hates  to  see  his  old  friend's  favorite  go  into  the  hands 
of  a  man  who  will  campaign  her.  In  fact  would  rather 
take  her  himself  than  have  that  happen.  The  caller 
hastens  to  assure  him  that  he  has  no  intention  whatever 
of  campaigning  her  (nine  times  out  of  ten  that's  a  lie; 
he  probably  wants  to  start  her  in  a  free-for-all  in  the 
spring  meeting,  to  skin  the  town  with  her  if  he  can).  Mr. 
Vanderbilt  assures  the  caller  of  his  appreciation  of  his 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  209 

intentions  not  to  campaign  her,  and  says  he  would 
really  like  to  see  Mambrino  Girl  in  the  caller's  posses- 
sion. 

The  caller  is  tickled  by  this  flattery  from  a  great 
man.  He  almost  decides  to  take  Mambrino  Girl,  but 
not  quite;  he  seems  to  want  to  see  John  alone  first. 
Mr.  Vanderbilt  scents  his  desire  and  goes  to  attend  a 
conference  of  railroad  magnates — around  the  corner. 
Shortly  thereafter  John  and  the  caller  re-enter  the  car- 
riage to  return  to  the  office  and  arrange  matters  with 
the  gentleman  of  imposing  presence.  In  the  meantime 
John  has  been  let  into  the  secret  of  the  caller's  desire 
for  Mambrino  Girl;  incidentally  he  has  also  received  a 
fifty-dollar  bill  to  give  the  caller  straight  tips  on  Mam- 
brino Girl.  The  caller  wants  a  horse  to  put  on  the 
track  at  home  that  will  make  the  natives  green  with 
envy,  and  he  thinks  Mambrino  Girl  will  just  fill  the 
bill.  John  helps  him  to  think  so. 

They  reach  the  sumptuous  offices  again,  and  find 
the  gentleman  of  imposing  presence  busy,  preparatory 
to  going  out.  John  puts  his  heels  together  and  ducks  his 
body  as  he  announces  that  "the gentleman  has  decided 
to  take  the  horse,  sir." 

"Are  you  sure  that  horse  is  going  into  proper  hands, 
John?"  asks  "C.  K.  Harris,"  pompously.  The  caller 
hastens  to  assure  him  that  he  can  give  the  best  of  refer- 
ences. 

"As  administrator  of  this  estate,  sir,  I  must  see  that 
these  horses  go  into  proper  hands.  I'll  drive  over  and 
look  up  these  references  at  once.  John,  brush  my 
clothes,  quick  now," 


210  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

"Don't  talk  that  way  to  me,"  growls  John, under  his 
breath,  whisking  vigorously  at  his  "master's"  coat, 
"or  I'll  hit  you  over  the  head  with  the  broom." 

By  this  time  the  caller  is  perspiring  with  anxiety, 
particularly  as  John  keeps  nudging  him  to  pay  out  his 
money  at  once.  But  the  administrator  seems  bent  on 
discharging  his  duty  to  his  deceased  client  faithfully, 
and  off  he  carries  his  imposing  presence.  He  slips 
down  to  a  saloon  where  he  looks  up  a  thing  or  two 
which  aren't  references;  then  he  takes  a  turn  at  the  free 
lunch  to  cover  up  the  fragrance  of  the  thing  or  two, 
and  goes  leisurely  back  to  his  sumptuous  office,  his  pres- 
ence becoming  more  portly  with  every  step  he  takes  in 
that  direction.  "I  think  you  will  do,  sir, "  he  says  to  the 
waiting  caller.  Then  after  a  little  more  pompous  parley 
the  caller  gets  a  chance  to  plank  down  his  money.  He 
is  now  happy.  There  is  just  one  thing  more;  he  wants 
a  pedigree  of  Mambrino  Girl.  "Oh,  yes,  of  course," 
says  the  administrator,  who  is  taking  out  his  check 
book  again  to  continue  his  important  occupation  of 
filling  in  figures,  "John,  where  are  those  pedigrees?" 

"Yes,  sir,  they're  down  at  the  factory,  sir." 

"Get  them  as  soon  as  they  are  ready  and  mail  one 
to  the  gentleman." 

"Yes,  sir;  all  r'ght,  sir." 

The  caller's  happiness  is  now  complete,  and  he  goes 
off  to  take  his  departure  with  his  prize.  In  his  pocket 
is  a  receipt  for  his  money  which  reads  so  assuriugly  that 
he  likes  to  think  of  it.  "Received  of  John  W.  Baxter 
the  sum  of  $500,  being  payment  in  full  for  one  bay 
mare,  Mambrino  Girl.  Said  mare  is  warranted  kind 


OF  THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS  211 

and  true  in  every  respect,  and  free  from  all  incum- 
brances.  She  eats  and  takes  her  rest  well.  The  said 
mare  is  guaranteed  to  trot  a  full  mile  in  2:30  when  in 
condition  and  with  proper  handling  Ten  days'  trial 
allowed.  If  said  mare  does  not  prove  to  be  as  represent- 
ed in  this  instrument  money  will  be  refunded.  Signed, 

"C.  K.  HARRIS." 

Could  anything  be  more  fair  and  reassuring? 

Ten  to  one  no  sooner  are  John  and  the  caller  beyond 
the  doors  of  the  sumptuous  suite  in  the  expensive  office 
building  downtown  than  another  sucker  calls  in  regard 
to  the  trotter  which  is  to  be  sold  at  such  a  bargain  on 
condition  that  she  be  not  campaigned.  "Buttons"  in- 
forms the  man  of  imposing  presence  of  the  sucker's 
business.  The  doors  to  the  splendid  inner  offices  are  all 
open, and  the  sucker  conceives  a  mighty  respect  for  the 
dead  man  whose  estate  is  being  administered  by  the  oc- 
cupant of  such  a  swelldom,  for  the  occupant  himself,  and 
for  the  estate,  particularly  that  portion  of  it  advertised 
as  Mambrino  Girl.  He  also  hears  the  man  of  imposing 
presence  order  Buttons  not  to  admit  him  (the  sucker), 
that  he  has  a  bank  directors'  meeting  to  attend,  that 
he  can't  possibly  be  bothered  by  all  these  people  run- 
ning after  Mambrino  Girl,  and  to  tell  him  (the  sucker) 
that  he  may  come  later  in  the  day.  The  sucker  departs 
anxiously.  The  man  of  imposing  presence  takes  the 
trolley  to  the  stockyards,  buys  a  horse  for  $50,  tele- 
phones to  John  to  come  and  get  her  "and  fix  her  up," 
and  hurry  down  to  the  office.  The  man  of  imposing 
presence  then  hurries  back  to  the  office  himself.  By 
and  by  John  comes  back  also.  So  does  the  sucker. 


212  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

John  and  the  man  of  imposing  presence  go  through  their 
respective  parts  again,  and  with  such  good  effect  that 
the  sucker  nearly  has  the  buttons  pulled  off  his  coat  in 
his  anxiety  to  get  out  his  pocketbook  and  make  a  de- 
posit on  Mambrino  Girl.  The  second  Mambrino  Girl  is 
soon  sold.  That  she  takes  the  lung  fever  over  night  is 
no  hindrance  to  the  bargain.  The  sucker  wants  to  see 
the  horse  off  on  the  train  himself,  but  the  gentleman 
of  imposing  presence  has  thawed  out  and  waves  such 
an  idea  to  the  winds.  "My  men  will  attend  to  all  that," 
he  says,  and  carries  the  sucker  off  in  the  swell  carriage 
drawn  by  the  high  steppers  to  show  him  the  postoffice 
and  city  hall  and  other  city  sights.  And  when  the 
sucker  gets  home  he  fancies  that  Mambrino  Girl's  lung 
fever  was  contracted  on  the  train. 

And  so  the  play  goes  merrily  on.  The  administra- 
tor's sale  and  the  widow,recently  bereaved,  have  many 
variations.  But  they  all  have  one  trait  in  common — 
they  are  all  successful.  They  are  so  successful  that 
in  many  cases  the  administrator  and  "my  man  John" 
retire,  and  live  in  splendor,  as  well  as  in  respectabil- 
ity, on  the  profits  of  innumerable  sales  of  Rosie  R's 
and  Mambrino  Girls.  There  is  one  now  living  on  Prairie 
Avenue,  Chicago,  who  is  married  to  a  society  belle. 
The  society  belle  has  not  the  remotest  idea  of  the 
nature  of  her  husband's  past  business,  of  course. 

There  was  a  sucker  once  who  was  the  chief  of  police 
in  his  own  town.  He  wanted  a  horse  to  skin  the  boys 
with  at  the  state  fair  races,  and  thought  he  had  got  a 
peach  from  the  administrator's  sale.  He  took  her  to  a 
little  town  a  few  miles  from  home  to  do  a  little  trim- 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  2lB 

ming  before  showing  her.  A  week  after  he  wrote  to  the 
administrator,  "She  can't  trot  in  5:80,  let  alone  2:30. 
Did  you  mean  thirty  minutes  when  you  said  she  could 
trot  in  '80?"  He  received  no  reply. 

Three  months  later  he  was  in  Chicago.  He  met  the 
administrator  face  to  face  in  front  of  the  postoffice. 

"Pardon  me,  isn't  your  name  Harris?"  he  asked. 

"No,  sir,"  answered  the  administrator. 

"But  didn't  you  sell  me  a  horse  three  months  ago?" 

"No,  sir,  I  never  sold  a  horse  in  my  life." 

"Didn't  you  have  an  office  in  the  Cheetyoo  Building 
three  months  ago?" 

"No,  sir,  I  never  had  an  office  in  any  building  in  this 
city.  You're  mistaken  in  your  man,  sir.  Good-day." 

"Well,  if  it  wasn't  you,  you  must  have  a  twin  brother 
in  the  real  estate  business,"  persists  the  chief  of  police 
in  his  own  town. 

"No,  sir,  I  have  no  twin  brother.  The  only  brother 
I  have  is  a  dwarf  and  an  idiot.  He  isn't  in  any  busi- 
ness. " 

"  Well  then,  aren't  you  a  gentleman  of  imposing  pres- 
ence who  sat  in  a  swell  office  three  months  ago  and 
helped  your  man  John  sell  me  a  horse?" 

"No,  sir,  I'm  a  small  man  who  wouldn't  impose  my 
presence  upon  such  a  gentleman  as  you  to  help  any 
man's  John.  Good-day." 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  Good-day."  And  the  chief  of 
police  in  his  own  town  sat  down  on  the  stone  wall,  and 
looked  after  the  vanishing  figure  of  the  gentleman  of 
imposing  presence  with  a  dazed  expression.  "I'm  a 
sucker,"  he  whispered  to  himself,  "and  if  I  don't  take 
care  some  one  will  find  it  out." 


SEA-FARING  ON  CATTLE  BOATS. 

IN  this  day  and  generation  it  does  not  take  the  pub- 
lic long  to  find  out  a  good  thing,  and  so  the  traveling 
public  has  discovered  that  crossing  the  ocean  on  a  cat- 
tle boat  is  a  delight  hitherto  unknown,  and  an  econo- 
my until  now  despaired  of.  And  that  is  how  it  happens 
that  so  many  cattle  boats  now  carry  passengers. 

The  favorite  steamer  for  this  sort  of  voyage  is  a 
cattle  boat,  belonging  to  the  Wilson  Line  of  steam- 
er?, running  between  New  York,  London,  Liverpool, 
Gothenburg,  Antwerp  and  Havre. 

This  cattle  boat  is  a  very  handsome  vessel,  and 
one  of  the  staunchest  which  ever  rode  old  Neptune's 
treacherous  back.  It  has  elegant  accommodations  for 
fifty  first  class  passengers,  beside  a  capacity  for  8,000 
horses,  1,200  cattle  and  8,000  sheep,  and  also  a  place  for 
thousands  of  tons  of  freight.  The  freight  charges  for 
horses  are  $20  per  head;  cattle,  $8;  sheep,  $1.  It  used 
to  be  necessary  to  hoist  these  enormous  numbers  of 
horses  and  cattle  on  board  very  much  as  stones  are 
raised  by  a  derrick,  but  that  has  been  done  away  with 
by  the  Wilson  Line,  whose  cargoes  of  live  stock  are 
now  walked  up  a  gang  plank  just  as  they  would  be  in 
being  loaded  on  a  train. 

The  passengers,  however,  are  really  the  most  inter- 
esting "live  stock"  transferred  across  the  water  by  the 

up-to-date  cattle  boats,  and  James    P.  Robertson,  the 

214 


A  MODERN  CATTLE  BOAT,  PROPERTY  OF  THE  WILSON  LINE. 


216  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Chicago  agent  for  the  Wilson  Line,  tells  many  funny 
stories  of  the  '"innocents  abroad"  on  their  vessels 
But  tales  of  travel  by  this  mode  all  have  one  thing  in 
common — their  refrain  is  the  happiness  and  jolly  good- 
nature of  the  passengers. 

The  passengers  have  all  the  comforts  and  many  more 
liberties  and  resources  than  the  passengers  on  other 
steamers.  If  dancing,  music,  story-telling,  and  even 
lounging  grow  wearisome,  they  have  a  never  failing 
resort  in  the  cattle-hold,  and  the  cry,  "Let  us  call  on 
our  fellow-travelers,  the  steers,  in  the  'steerage,'"  rises 
when  ennui  threatens.  And,  between  you  and  me  and 
the  fencepost,  the  ladies  are  always  ready  to  visit  the 
"steerage,"  for  the  captain  always  tells  them — each 
lady  in  confidence,  of  course — of  the  celebrated  beauty, 
but  rather  notorious  countess,  who  had  a  cow  stable 
built  near  her  palace  that  she  might  spend  at  least  an 
hour  a  day  there,  for  the  countess  knew  all  the  secrets 
of  beauty,  and  therefore  knew  that  the  sweet  odor  of 
the  cow's  breath  is  amongst  the  best  of  complexion  rem- 
edies; and  indeed,  according  to  history,  this  countess 
did  thus  preserve  her  beautiful  complexion  until  her 
death. 

Perhaps  it  is  because  of  this  that  the  ladies  are  so 
sorry  when  the  voyage  ends,  and  as  the  voyage  is  made 
in  ten  days,  of  course  the  gentlemen  have  not  tired  of 
it  either,  and  so  there  is  general  lamentation  when  the 
cattle  boat  makes  her  .port.  And  why  shouldn't 
there  be,  for  who  that  has  ever  been  "rocked  in  the 
cradle  of  the  deep"  in  such  a  boat  will  say  that  it  is 
not  simply  "great"? 


BILLY    THE  LETTER-CARRIER. 

"  BILLY,  "  the  letter-carrier  who  has  distributed  mail 
through  the  stockyards  district  for  the  past  fifteen  years, 
is  one  of  the  best  known  character?  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. Striding  along  with  the  even  step  of  a  mechan- 
ical walking  man,  Billy's  familiar  figure,  shining  face, 
and  cheery  smile  are  ever  pleasing  to  lool?  upon  and 
welcomed  by  all. 

Billy  has  a  wide-spreading  reputation  as  a  sprinter, 
having  won  in  several  eight  day  "go-as-you-please" 
contests,  but  what  has  really  made  him  famous  is  the 
knowledge  of  horseflesh  and  stock  market  valuations 
he  has  acquired  during  the  years  he  has  been  around 
the  yards.  In  the  horse  market  ti'mid  buyers  seek  his 
advice  before  deciding  upon  the  qualities  of  a  horse  or 
filly — Billy  knows  a  lot  about  fillies — and,  so  valuable 
is  his  opinion  considered,  though  he  is  always  tidy  and 
trim  in  his  dress,  as  is  befitting  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  rep- 
resentatives, poor  Billy  has  great  difficulty  in  keeping 

217 


218  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

the  buttons  on  his  uniform.  He  is  constantly  being 
submitted  to  buttonholing  by  those  wishing  advice  or 
information. 

When  a  dispute  arises  which  cannot  be  settled,  re- 
garding the  weight  of  a  hog  or  a  steer,  all  discussion  is 
deferred  till  "Billy  comes  down  the  lino."  He  will  not 
stop  with  the  mail  in  charge,  but  sticking  his  thumb  into 
the  ribs  of  a  steer,  instantly  pronounces  judgment, 
which  is  never  questioned,  "Nine  hundred  and  ninety," 
or,  giving  a  crippled  hog  a  dig  with  his  toe,  "Four  hun- 
dred and  forty,  worth  two  and  one-half." 

The  story  is  told  that,  during  the  great  storm  of  1882, 
Billy  turned  up  missing.  After  the  storm  blew  over 
he  was  discovered  up  in  the  weighing  division  of  the 
hog  department,  half  frozen,  and  when  brought  to  con- 
sciousness, the  first  words  he  uttered  were  "four  hun- 
dred and  forty." 

Billy,  whose  real  name  is  William  Torruochlen  (he 
is  called  Billy  by  everybody,  for,  while  there  are  a 
good  many  jaws  broken  at  the  yards  they  are  mostly 
steers'  jaws,  and  no  human  is  willing  to  break  his  in 
pronouncing  a  name,  not  even  Billy's),  is  the  essence  of  a 
gentleman,  strictly  attentive  to  business,  prompt  in  the 
performance  of  duty.  He  is  kindly  spoken  of  by  all  who 
know  him,  probably  has  more  friends  than  any  other 
man  connected  with  the  yards, and  what  Billy  does  not 
know  about  Texas  steers  and  Poland-China  hogs  isn't 
worth  trying  to  find  out.  Beside  that,  he  is  big  on 
politics  and  carries  the  Twenty-ninth  Ward  in  his  vest 
pocket.  Oh  my,  you  should  hear  one  of  his  political 
speeches  on  what  he  knows  about  civil  service  and 
postal  reform! 


TRANSIT  HOUSE. 

THE  entire  management  of  this  famous  hotel  is  per- 
fect. The  rooms  are  kept  scrupulously  clean  in  every 
particular,  and  an  abundance  of  the  finest  linen  de- 
lights the  patrons. 

The  manager,  L.  E.  Howard,  reveals  not  only  a  thor- 
ough experience  in  catering,  but  a  knowledge  of  the  in- 
tricacies of  conducting  a  hotel  which  is  seldom  found  in 
any  one  person.  He  has  solved  the  problem  of  how  to 
give  elegant  rooms  with  the  very  best  of  meals  for 
$2.00  to  $2. 50  per  day. 

There  is  more  wealth  housed  under  the  roof  of  the 
Transit  House  every  night  than  under  that  of  any  other 
hotel  in  Chicago.  There  are  more  solid  (in  pocket  and 
body)  bachelors  making  it  their  home  and  taking 
things  easy  than  in  any  other  hotel  in  the  West.  In 
deed,  what  the  once  famous  Royal  Hotel  of  New  Or- 
leans was  to  the  prosperous  planter  in  the  early  part 

219 


220  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

of  the  century,  the  Transit  House  is  to  the  wealthy 
stockman  of  the  West. 

Those  who  have  never  visited  in  the  neighborhood 
of  this  hotel  will  be  agreeably  surprised  by  making  it 
an  evening  call,  when  in  its  extensive  corridors  and 
spacious  reading-rooms  will  be  found  groups  of  mil- 
lionaires from  San  Francisco,  Montana  and  Wyoming, 
capitalists, cattle  kings, stock  raisers  and  well-to-do  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city  who  are  lovers  of  good  cheer,  of 
old  wine  and  juicy  beef.  There  is  a  popular  supposi- 
tion that  the  best  beef  raised  in  this  country  goes  to 
Europe,  but  Manager  Howard  is  a  connoisseur  in  the 
selection  of  beef  and  gets  his  share  of  that  selected  for 
Europe. 

The  Transit  House  is  reached  from  downtown  by 
the  electric  cars  and  the  "alley  L, "  which  connect  with 
.lines  running  to  all  the  depots,  theaters,  the  city  hall, 
postoffice  and  business  houses. 


A    TERROR  SUBDUED. 


THE  BELLE  OF  THE  STOCKYARDS. 

SHE  is  a  daughter  of  Erin  first  and  the  child  of  a 
father  who  died  for  his  country  second — just  as  her 
father  would  have  liked  her  to  be.  Like  most  of  the 
maidens  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  she  has  hair  as  crisp  and 
blue-black  as  a  blackbird's  wing,  and  big  blue-gray 
eyes  of  that  particular  mixture  which  none  but  an  Irish 
girl  has  ever  dared  to  wear — sweet,  open  eyes  like  a 
new-born  calf's  when  she  happens  to  be  thinking,  but 
deep,  dark  pcnds  of  roguishness,  not  to  say  deviltry, 
when  the  boys  come  her  way.  She  has  a  broad  fore- 

221 


222  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

head  with  a  few  black  tendrils  just  creeping  out  where 
the  flesh  and  hair  meet,  much  more  worth  the  eulogy  of 
a  poet  than  that  lady's  lock  Pope  has  made  immortal, 
heavy  black  brows  and  silken  fringes   over   her    eyes. 
The  rest  of  her  face  is  pretty,  like  th3  faces  of  all  Irish- 
American  girls — a  marvelous  skin  with  a  suggestion  of 
freckles  when  the  wind  blows,  a  nose  tilting  skyward 
just  enough  to  prove  the   owner's  aspirations,  a  full 
mouth  which  tempts  a  man   to  kiss  it  while   it  defies 
him  on  pain  of  being  bitten  to  do  it,  and  there   are 
two  rows  of  snowy  ivory  behind  the  lips  to  fulfill  the 
threat.  When  you  see  Kitty — Kitty  Malorey  her  name 
is,  but  she  is  Kitty  to  everybody  and   Miss  Malorey  to 
nobody  but    the  frequently   occurring  young   gosling 
who  would  give  his  eyes  to  have  her  and   hasn't   any- 
thing but  his  tongue  to  support  his  pretensions — well, 
when  you  see  Kitty  walk  into  the  yards   of  a  morning 
with  a  step  as  light  as  a  maverick's  and  a  face  as  bright 
as  a  pink  morning-glory,  you  would  not  think  that  her 
shoulders  bear  the   burden   of  supporting  a  dear  old 
mother.     Probably  Kitty  does  not  think    it  either,  for 
if  you  ask  her  she  will  tell  you  that  she  "lives  with  her 
mother,"  never  having  realized  that  her  mother  lives 
with  her,  and  she  says  it  in  a  way  which  tells  you  that 
she  doesn't  want  your  interest. 

Kitty  is  employed  in  the  Exchange  Building.  She 
has  made  all  the  money  she  ever  had  in  the  stock- 
yards. She  gets  $9  per  week,  working  from  eight 
o'clock  until  six.  When  she  went  to  work  there  five 
years  ago  as  a  little  miss  of  fourteen  she  earned  only 
$8,  but  whatever  the  amount,  it  has  kept  Kitty  and  her 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  223 

mother  in  bread  and  butter  and  put  a  roof  over  them- 
from  the  day  she  first  drew  her  wages  until  the  present. 
She  has  grown  into  womanhood  at  the  stockyards,  and 
the  man  who  has  not  a  place  for  Kitty  in  his  heart, 
has  not  himself  a  place  in  many  hearts  at  the  yards, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  he  must  be  unknown  there. 

Kitty  has  the  courage  of  a  heroine.  If  occasion  pre- 
sented she  would  be  a  Grace  Darling,  or  even  a  Joan  of 
Arc,  minus  the  visions.  In  fact  she  has  demonstrated 
her  courage  and  presence  of  mind  to  such  good  effect  as 
to  save  a  human  life.  This  is  how  it  came  about: 

One  day  at  the  noon  hour  Kitty  stood  in  the  doorway 
of  the  Exchange  Building.  The  sunshine  was  very  en- 
ticing, and  Kitty's  thoughts  wandered  away  to  green 
meadows  starred  with  buttercups  and  daisies  and  to 
purling  brooks  kissing  the  lips  of  over-hanging  blue- 
bells. As  her  mind  dwelt  upon  this  rural  picture  her 
eyes  noted  an  old  acquaintance,  Sergeant  Moran,  lit- 
erally an  arm  of  the  law  at  the  yards,  passing  down  the 
avenue  on  his  way  from  the  yards  after  making  his 
rounds.  Kitty  nodded  to  the  sergeant  and  he  touched 
his  cap  to  her,  and  then  passed  on  out  of  Kitty's  sight. 
One  minute  later  instead  of  the  sergeant  her  eyes  rested 
on  a  bull  charging  down  the  avenue,  his  eyes  glaring 
red  and  angry,  his  head  lowered  threateningly.  He  was 
evidently  a  wild  bull  escaped  from  a  herd,  and  mad- 
dened by  pursuit.  Kitty's  mind  grasped  the  situation 
in  a  flash.  A  few  yards  away  walked  the  sergeant,  ob- 
viously lost  in  thought;  behind  him  came  the  infuriated 
bull,  the  sound  of  his  hoofs  muffled  by  the  soft  earth, 
A  tragedy  was  imminent.  Would  she  have  time  to 


224  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

prevent  it?  She  sprang  inside  to  a  hat  rack  and  snatch- 
ing a  man's  scarlet  muffler,  ran  into  the  street.  Twenty 
yards  to  the  right  walked  Sergeant  Moran,  ten  yards  to 
the  left  came  the  bull.  A  cry  of  warning  left  Kitty's 
lips  as  she  reached  the  street,  another  cry  and  still  an- 
other before  the  sergeant  heard  and  heeded.  She 
waved  the  scarlet  muffler  before  the  on-coming  animal's 
eyes,  those  eyes  that  were  so  terribly  near  and  glared 
at  her  so  ferociously  as  they  caught  sight  of  the  flutter- 
ing bit  of  scarlet.  Nearer!  Nearer!  There  was  no 
time  for  a  prayer,  but  a  murmur,  ;'Holy  mother,  help 
me,  "came  from  her  lips  as  the  girl  sprang  aside  withthe 
nimbleness  of  a  toreador,  just  as  the  beast  lowered  his 
head  hardly  two  feet  away.  Turn  about  came  the  huge 
head  with  the  red,  glaring  eyeballs !  Another  spring  away 
from  the  lowered  horns!  Then  a  clattering  of  hoofs,  a 
roar  of  shouts  and  of  shots  filled  the  girl's  ears,  and  be- 
fore she  knew  what  had  happened  the  bull  staggered 
and  fell  in  the  very  act -of  turning  upon  her  again! 
Kitty  staggered  and  fell,  too.  She  didn't  faint,  no  in- 
deed, but  it  had  all  been  so  sudden,  so  quick,  so  awful, 
that  although  it  was  only  one  minute  since  she  first  saw 
the  brute  coming,  it  seemed  to  her  a  whole  week  of 
horror,  when  the  danger  was  past,  and  nerves  and  mus- 
cles collapsed.  Policeman  Murphy,  they  told  her,  had 
fired  the  shot  which  brought  down  th-e  bull,  and  as 
Kitty  turned  to  thank  the  valiant  "limb  of  the  law" 
for  saving  her  life,  Sergeant  Moran  poured  out  his 
gratitude  to  brave  young  Kitty  for  saving  his.  Police- 
man Murphy  didn't  want  thanks  for  merely  doing  his 
duty,  he  said;  Kitty  didn't  deserve  any  gratitude  for 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  225 

merely  doing  what  any  one  would  have  done  under  the 
same  circumstances,  she  said,  and  so  the  rescued  and 
the  rescuers  gazed  at  each  other  for  a  moment  in  con- 
fusion. Evidently,  as  one  of  the  rescuers  was  also  a 
rescued,  she  would  have  to  take  her  own  medicine  in 
taking  gratitude,  or  else  refrain  from  thanking  her 
own  rescuer.  But  the  difficulty  was  gotten  over  with 
a  hearty  laugh  and  a  still  heartier  handclasp,  and  every- 
thing that  wasn't  said  was  understood. 

Kind  hands  helped  Kitty  into  the  Exchange  Build- 
ing, and  words  of  praise  and  admiration  were  heaped 
upon  her  at  every  step.  As  she  stood  in  the  doorway, 
her  trembling  yet  smiling  lips  trying  to  form  the  words, 
"Oh,  please,  don't!  It  wasn't  anything  much.  Every- 
body would  do  the  samel"  Sergeant  Moran  cried, 
"Let's  give  three  cheers  and  a  tiger  for  Kitty  Ma- 
loreyl"  And  thereupon  the  crowd  took  up  theory,  and 
"Three  cheers  and  a  tiger  for  Kitty  Malorey!"  rang 
out  upon  the  mid-day  air  from  a  hundred  throats. 

An  hour  later  Kitty  was  at  her  work  as  usual,  the  dead 
bull  had  been  removed,  and  no  one  would  have  known 
that  anything  unusual  had  occurred.  Kitty  herself  was 
calmest  of  all,  only  a  little  pallor  on  the  usually  rosy 
cheek  showing  that  she  had  passed  through  an  ordeal 
which  would  have  tried  the  nerve  of  the  strongest  man. 
Of  such  stuff  are  heroines  made.  Blood  will  tell,  and 
the  girl  who  could  risk  her  life  to  save  that  of  a  fellow 
creature  is  worthy  of  the  best  lot  which  falls  to  woman- 
kind— a  husband  who  shall  combine  all  the  virtues,  not 
omitting  riches,  and  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  all  who 
know  her  or  hear  of  her  bravery. 


THE  CAN-RUSH. 

AT  twelve  o'clock  that  great  high  noon  function,  the 
grand  Can-Rush,  begins  among  the  packing-house  men. 
Half  a  minute  after  the  blowing  of  the  whistle  an  army 


THE  CAN-RUSHERS  COMING. 

of  men  and  boys  surges  through  the  gates.  Every  one 
is  on  a  dead  run,  every  one  is  breathing  hard  with  the 
violence  of  his  exertions,  every  one  looks  straight  ahead 
with  an  earnestness  which  says  plainer  than  words  that 
something  more  than  life  or  death  is  at  stake.  The 


THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS 


227 


problem  which  confronts  each  is,  how  to  get  his  can 
filled  and  return  to  his  place  in  thirty  minutes!  Hav- 
ing secured  the  beer,  milk,  coffee,  tea — whatever  the 
"tipple"  is  each  favors  most — the  men  rush  out  of  doors 
to  eat  and  drink  for  a  few  moments.  The  street,  the 
curb,  and  the  benches,  in  the  sun  and  in  the  shade,  are 
lined  and  filled  with  men  as  quickly  as  they  can  place 
themselves.  When  at  last  the  cans  are  empty  and  the 
food  demolished  the  return  march  begins,  but  now  at  a 
leisurely  walk. 


THE  CAN-RUSHERS  UAT  WORK." 


COMMISSION,    FEED    CHARGES,    DOCKAGE,  IN- 
SPECTION, ETC. 

COMMISSIONS. — Fifty  cents  per  head  for  cattle  of  all 
ages  up  to  $12  per  load.  Veal  calves  in  less  than  car 
lots  not  leas  than  25  cents  per  head.  Double  deck  cars 
of  calves  $18.  Double  deck  car  loads  of  hogs  and  sheep 
$10.  Mixed  car  loads  of  stock,  50  cents  per  head  for 
cattle,  25  cents  per  head  for  calves,  10  cents  for  hogs  and 
sheep  up  to,  but  not  to  exceed,  $12  per  car  load.  Thirty 
head  and  over  of  hogs  and  sheep  arriving  at  these  yards 
in  a  single  car  to  constitute  a  single  load,  will  be  charged 
$6  per  car. 

LESS  THAN  CAR  LOAD  LOTS. — Fifty  cents  per  head  for 
cattle,  25  cents  per  head  for  calves — under  thirty  head 
of  hogs  or  sheep  15  cents  per  head. 

INSPECTION. — Hogs  are  inspected  by  a  hog  inspector, 
for  which  a  charge  of  10  cents  per  car  is  made;  stags 
are  docked  80  pounds  per  head,  piggy  sows  40  pounds 
per  head. 

FEED  CHARGES. — Corn,  $1  per  bushel;  timothy  hay, 
$30  per  ton ;  prairie  hay,  $20  per  ton, 

YARDAGE  CHARGES. — Cattle,25  cents  per  head;  calves, 
15  cents  per  head;  hogs,  8  cents  per  head;  sheep,  5 
cents  per  head. 

DOCKAGE. — Broken-ribbed  and    bruised     cattle    are 
docked  $5  per  head,  dead  hogs,  100  pounds  and  over, 
£  cent  per  pound,  and  less  than  100  pounds,  of  no  value. 

228 


ONE  KIND  OF  STICK-TO-ATIVENESS. 

WHILE  everybody  gets  a  square  deal  at  the  yards, 
not  every  man  who  comes  there  with  something  for 
sale  is  willing  to  give  one  himself. 

One  excitable  man  with  a  faculty  for  getting  the  best 
of  his  fellow  men  came  to  the  yards  the  other  day,  and 
may  be  used  as  an  illustration.  This  man,  beside  the 
failings  already  noted,  was  very  positive  in  all  his  state- 
ments, and  would  stand  by  every  one  of  them  most  im- 
partially, whether  right  or  wrong. 

He  brought  with  him  to  the  yards  a  horse,  which  he 
thought  a  remarkable  animal,  but  which  he  wanted  to 
sell  nevertheless.  The  horse,  however,  was  not  nearly  so 
remarkable  as  his  owner.  The  man  expatiated  at  length 
upon  the  physical  and  mental  attributes  of  the  horse, 
concluding  the  eulogy  by  stating  that  he  was  seventeen 
feet  high.  This  statement  was,  of  course,  a  slip  of  the 
tongue,  and  the  commission  man  to  whom  the  horse 
was  being  offered  drew  his  attention  to  the  slip  by  say- 
ing, "You  mean  seventeen  hands  high."  The  correc- 
tion had  to  be  repeated  several  times  before  the  man 
succeeded  in  comprehending  it,and  whsn  the  difference 
between  feet  and  hands  as  applied  to  measuring  horses 
finally  penetrated  the  ox-like  covering  of  his  brain,  he 
had  to  stop  to  consider  whether  he  really  meant  seven- 
teen feet  or  seventeen  hands.  At  last  he  asked: 

"Did  I  say  seventeen  feet?" 

"That's  what  you  said." 

"Well,"  he  exclaimed  conclusively,  "then  the  horse 
is  seventeen  feet  high  I" 

229 


DAILY  DROVERS'  JOURNAL. 
UNION  STOCKYARDS,  CHICAGO,  JUNE  11,  1896, 

HORSES. 
Quotations  for  horses,  Union  Stockyards  market. 

Description.  Poor  to  Fair.         Good  to  Choice. 

Draft    horses $  55@  80  $110@150 

Ch unks,  1300@  1400 1  bs 45@  60  70@  100 

Streeters 50@  60  65@  90 

Drivers 40@  70  100@200 

General  use 20®  40  45@  60 

Carriage  teams 200@250  300@650 

Saddlers 30@  75  125@200 

Plugs  and  rangers 4@  10  15@  30 

HORSE  AUCTION. — Although  the  volume  of  receipts  are 
light  they  are  practically  steady  as  compared  with  the 
run  last  week,  there  being  1,289  arrivals  and  681  ship- 
ments reported  up  to  yesterday's  closing,  against  1,809 
arrivals  and  685  shipments  for  the  same  period  last 
week.  The  feature  of  the  trade  was  the  large  number 
of  finished  heavy  drafters  on  the  market  that  sold 
around  $150@212.50,  the  offerings  being  the  choicest 
reported  for  some  time,  numbers  considered.  The  bulk 
of  the  drafters  were  taken  by  domestic  dealers  for  the 
eastern  markets,  and  foreign  buyers  for  exportation. 
The  demand  for  extra  quality  blocky  drafters  of  1600 
@2000  pounds  weight  is  active,  but  the  receipts  are  very 
light  of  the  extra  choice  kind  and  individual  sales  have 
been  made  in  the  auctions  during  the  past  three  weeks 
as  high  as  $225  for  the  best  individual  specimens.  Plain 
and  medium  heavy  horses  are  sluggish  at  $75@125. 
Drivers  were  in  steady  request  at  $60@185,  both  on 
domestic  and  export  orders.  The  market  opened  firm 
with  a  large  attendance  of  buyers  and  the  general  scale 
of  prices  was  steady  on  all  classes  of  offerings,  a  com- 
plete clearance  being  reported. 

J.  B.  JACKSON.  Reporter, 
230 


THE  PEN-HOLDERS. 

A  CASUAL  visitor  passing  through  the  yards  of  an 
evening  would  frequently  have  his  attention  drawn  to 
the  almost  deserted  pens, occupied  only  by  a  few  scraggy, 
long-haired  animals,  and  would  wonder  greatly  if  this 
was  the  best  the  great  stock  market  could  do  in  the  way 
of  provender.  Such  at  least  were  the  thoughts  of  one 
passer-by  at  eight  of  these  forlorn  beasts,  which  look 
more  like  the  ghosts  of  the  sleek,  fat  droves  he  expected 
to  see  than  anything  else. 

"What  are  these?"  was  his  wondering  query  of  a 
boy,  a  denizen  of  the  yards,  standing  near.  "What  are 
they  going  to  do  with  these?"  he  added. 

"Do?"  answered  the  boy,  "why,  uothin'.  Them's 
pen-holders." 

"Pen-holders,"  said  the  wayfarer,  still  unenlight- 
ened, "and  pray,  what  are  pen-holders?" 

But  upon  further  information  it  becomes  evident  that 
this  peculiar  name  exactly  describes  the  office  of  these 
weary-looking  creatures.  It  is  an  unwritten  canon  of  the 

231 


282  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

yards,  that  though  the  pens  are  open  to  all, no  dealer  shall 
take  any  that  is  not  entirely  empty;  and  two  animals 
left  over  night  in  a  pen  suffice  to  hold  it  for  use  on  the 
morrow;  hence  the  mission  of  the  "pen-holders,"  and 
the  patient  beasts  who  fill  that  position  stay  in  the  pen 
day  and  night,  winter  and  summer,  exposed  to  all 
weathers,  cold,  warm,  dry,  wet,  still  or  breezy — and 
they  show  it!  Shaggy  coated,  patient  eyed,  accustomed 
to  "take  things  as  they  come,"  and  wearing  an  air  of 
stoical  indifference,  their  lot  in  life  is  laid  out  for  them, 
and  followed  without  question.  They  serve  their  pur- 
pose well, and  "hold  the  fort"  as  effectually  as  would  a 
loaded  cannon  planted  there. 

It  would  be  a  breach  of  business  etiquette  which  no 
commission  man  would  think  of  committing  to  remove 
the  animals  or  take  a  pen  occupied  by  them,  so  the 
pen-holder  "goes  on  forever,"  or  until  death  removes 
him,  when  his  place  is  promptly  filled  by  a  new  recruit. 


CHAMPION  BEEF    DRESSER    OF    THE    WORLD. 


Time,  four  minutes  and  five  seconds. 

"Challenge:  I,  the  undersigned,  challenge  any  man 
to  a  beef  dressing  contest,  fora  stake  of  $5,000,  the  con- 
test to  be  governed  by  the  American  rules  governing 
beef  dressing  contests,  MIKE  F.  MUILINS.  " 

THE  above  is  the  standing 
challenge  which  Mike  F.Mul- 
•lins  holds  out  to  any  and 
every  professional  beef  dresser 
in  the  world.  Mike  Mull  ins, 
beef  dresser  for  George  F. 
Swift  &  Co.,  has  been  the 
hero  and  winner  in  many  a 
beef  dressing  contest,  in  all 
.of  which  some  of  the  best 
beef  dressers  in  the  United 
States  have  been  his  competi- 
tors. 

A  beef  dressing  contest  is 
a  s  interesting,  and  much 
more  unique,  than  a  contest 
of  fists,  or  any  other  con- 
test in  which  the  odds  are  large.  Besides  this, it  is  gov- 
erned by  rules  as  strict  as  any  which  ever  regulated  a 
fistic  meeting  of  Corbett,  John  L.,  or  any  of  their  ilk. 

233 


MIKE  READY  FOR  A  CONTEST. 


234  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

These  rules,  called  the  American  rules  governing 
beef  dressing  contests,  read:  First — there  shall  be  three 
judges,  who  shall  be  considered  fair-minded  and  hon- 
orable men,  and  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  butcher 
business  Second — cattle  should  weigh  no  less  than 
1400  pounds.  Third — contestants  will  be  allowed  twen- 
ty-five minutes  to  dress  the  bullock;  judges  to  call 
time  when  bullock  is  drawn  up,  front  feet  off  and  right 
hind  leg  broken;  dresser  to  call  time  when  finished. 
After  dresser  has  called  time  he  will  not  be  allowed 
near  the  carcass  or  hide  until  judges  have  made  their 
inspection,  when,  by  having  everything  perfect, dresser 
will  be  credited  100  points  in  time  of  twenty-five  min- 
utes, points  to  be  considered  as  follows:  First — fifteen 
points  for  opening,  reining  and  siding  bullock;  second 
— five  points  for  legging;  third — fifteen  points  for 
rurnping  and  backing;  fourth — fifteen  points  for  split- 
ting; fifth — ten  points  for  clearing  shank  and  dropping 
hide;  sixth — twenty  points  for  time;  seventh — ten 
points  for  general  neatness;  eighth — ten  points  for  the 
condition  of  the  hide;  these  constituting  the  100  points 
to  credit.  The  followings  points  will  be  deducted  for 
the  following  defects:  twenty  points  off  for  every 
minute  over  the  allotted  twenty  in  his  favor  for  every 
minute  less. 

Mr.  Mullius'  first  contest  took  place  in  the  Exposi- 
tion Building,  Chicago,  August  22,  1883,  there  being 
eight  contestants  for  prizes.  The  first  prize  was  a  gold 
medal  and  was  won  by  Mr,  Mullins,  At  that  time  the 
contests  were  a  go-as-you-please  competition,  a  mode 
which  was  discontinued  shortly  afterward,  giving  place 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  285 

to  the  above  rules.  Since  then  Mr.  Mullius  has  figured 
in  many  contests,  always  coming  out  victor,  his  last 
being  at  the  World's  Fair,  where  he  clinched  his  repu- 
tation as  the  champion  dresser  of  the  world. 

To  see  Mullins  dress  a  beef  is  a  sight  which  even  a 
layman  would  enjoy.  His  right  hand  with  its  gleam- 
ing knife  glances  like  a  streak  of  white  lightning  from 
the  animal's  head  to  his  tail, performing  quick  maneu- 
vers which  result  in  the  bullock,  freshly  killed,  being 
transformed  into  dressed  beef  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye. 

This  lightning  rapidity  is  the  result  of  natural  apti- 
tude, and  long  years  of  practice,  for  Mr.  Mullins  be- 
came a  butcher  at  the  age  of  eighteen  His  first  "job" 
was  with  Swift  &  Co.  of  this  city,  with  whom  he  has 
been  ever  since. 

Mike  Mullins  is  big  in  body  and  in  heart,  the  former 
measuring  six  feet  one  inch,  and  weighing  195  pounds, 
and  the  latter  having  a  place  in  it  for  every  unfortu- 
nate fellow  man  whom  he  meets.  He  is  always  open  to, 
and  in  good  condition  for,  a  contest.  There  is  proba- 
bly no  man  at  the  yards  more  popular  than  genial  Mike 
Mullius. 


JACK  AND  PETY  WRESTLING. 

JACK,  PETY  AND  PADDY. 

PROMINENTLY  connected  with  the  Underwriters'  Fire 
Patrol  wagon,  number  four,  which  has  headquarters 
at  the  yards,  is  Jack  Campaign.  Jack  is  the  proud 
owner  of  an  enormous  brown  grizzly  bear  of  mild  and 
serene  temper,  called  Pety,  and  a  very  diminutive  but 
cheerful  member  of  the  hog  family,  known  as  Paddy. 

The  way  Jack  came  to  have  Paddy  is  a  pathetic  story, 
but  put  in  a  nutshell  is  simply  that  Paddy  came  into 
the  world  one  cold  January  night  last  year  with  a  lit- 

23« 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  237 

ter  of  little  brothers  and  sisters.  Their  mother  must 
have  been  of  the  most  aggravated  and  extravagant  type 
of  the  new  female,  for  she  deserted  her  babies  as  soon 
as  they  were  born.  And  so  when  morning  came  the 
white  souls  of  all  the  little  piggies  except  Paddy's  had 
gone  to  paradise,  where  no  doubt  they  are  now  frisking 
about  with  the  downiest  of  angel  wings.  Jack  Cam- 
paign happened  into  the  hog  pen  in  the  early  morning 
just  in  time  to  save  Paddy  from  being  trodden  to  death 
by  a  great  hog  of  the  masculine  gender,  but  not  soon 
enough  to  save  him  from  injuries  which  crippled  him 
for  life.  In  fact,  while  Paddy  is  over  a  year  old  and 
quite  strong,  he  weighs  only  five  pounds,  and  most  of 
that  weight  comes  from  his  head,  which  is  fully  as 
large  as  his  body. 

Pety  and  Paddy  both  make  their  home  in  the  engine 
house,  where  Jack  spends  most  of  his  time.  And  what 
glorious  times  they  do  have!  Pety  and  Paddy,  although 
belonging  to  such  totally  different  branches  of  the  ani- 
mal kingdom,  are  nevertheless  the  best  of  friends,  and 
frolic  together  like  two  kittens — ;>r  as  nearly  like  kit- 
tens as  bruin  and  piggy  can  come.  Upon  the  whole 
Jack  the  man,  Pety  the  bear  and  Paddy  the  pig  con- 
stitute as  happy,  affectionate  and  frolicsome  a  family 
as  can  be  found.  They  each  have  a  number  of  accom- 
plishments which  they  can  exhibit  for  their  own  and  any 
chance  spectator's  edification.  Pety  can  dance,  per- 
haps not  with  so  sylphlike  a  movement  as  Loie  Fuller, 
but  nevertheless  very  gracefully — for  a  bear — he  can 
wrestle  like  a  John  L.,  turn  a  somersault  with  the  ease 
of  an  acrobat,  slide  down  the  "post"  as  well  as  an  ex- 


288  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

pert  fireman,  and  play  soldier  as  well  as  Emperor  Will- 
iam. Paddy  is  an  important  member  of  the  fire 
brigade,  as  far  as  he  goes,  but  alas!  he  does  not  go 
far,  for  the  poor  little  fellow  is  so  sadly  crippled  that 
a  run  of  a  few  yards  with  the  flying  patrol  quite  ex- 
hausts him,  and  he  returns  to  the  engine  room.  But 
Paddy,  like  all  philosophical  beings,  is  very  cheerful  in 
spite  of  his  deficiency,  and  occupies  himself  in  greeting 
visitors  with  a  series  of  most  cordial  and  pleasant  grunts ; 
in  fact  he  is  a  permanent  reception  committee,  always 
coming  forward  to  meet  callers,  his  whole  little  body 
wiggling,  and  his  brown  eyes  twinkling  a  genial  wel- 
come. Jack's  accomplishments — well,  Jack's  accom- 
plishments may  best  be  enumerated  by  those  which  are 
not  rather  than  by  tbosa  which  are  in  the  list,  for  he 
is  an  aH-round  entertainer, 

This  trio  of  happy  souls  came  very  near  being  the 
cause  of  a  frightful  tragedy.  It  happened  this  way. 

One  day  Pety  went  over  to  the  slaughter  house  at 
noon  to  dance  for  the  butchers.  In  the  middle  of  the 
performance  a  butcher,  all  dripping  with  red  gore,  came 
in  to  join  the  lunchers.  Pety  had  never  seen  blood 
before,  and,  like  Helen's  Toddy,  it  excited  him  excess- 
ively. He  looked  at  the  butcher,  deliberately  stopped 
in  the  middle  of  his  most  taking  figure,and  went  up  to 
the  gory  man  to  snitf.  Pety  had  never  before  exhib- 
ited any  of  the  disagreeable  traits  of  his  race,  but  on 
this  occasion  he  rose  up  and  clasped  the  bloody  butcher 
in  such  au  extravagantly  close  embrace  that  the  man 
cried  out  in  alarm.  For  a  second  the  place  was  in  an 
uproar  of  excitement.  Then  Jack  appeared,  just  in  the 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


239 


nick  of  time  to  spare  the  man  some  broken  ribs,  for 
Pety  always  obeys  Jack's  voice  "instanter,"  and  "came 
off"  at  once. 

Pety  should  not  be  blamed  too  much  for  this  display 
of  his  race's  ferocity,  for  at  best  a  man  dripping  with 
blood  is  an  alarming  object,  and  no  doubt  Pety  imag- 
ined that  the  man  had  come  to  execute  his  (Pety's) 
friends  as  he  had  already  executed  numberless  steers. 
At  any  rate  he  should  be  given  the  benefit  of  the  doubt, 
for  that  is  what  Jack  and  Paddy  think  about  it,  and 
they  ought  to  know. 


A    FALSE  ALA  KM. 


THE  STOCKYARDS  SCRIBES. 

THE  heart  of  the  live  stock  industry  of  the  world  is 
the  Union  Stockyards,  and,  of  course,  to  transmit  its 
throbs  as  pulse-beats  to  the  rest  of  the  world  requires 


J.   R.   DALEY. 


J.    B.   JACKSON. 


the  presence  of  the  omnipresent  reporter  There  are 
two  of  these  quilldrivers,  and  through  their  good  offices 
the  world  is  informed  of  the  doings  at  the  yards.  They 
are  John  R.  Daley  and  J.  B.  Jackson,  whose  respective 
papers  are  the  Chicago  Evening  Journal  and  the  Dro- 
ver's Journal,  beside  which  they  furnish  correspondence 
for  outside  newspapers, 

Both  of  these  men  have  been  at  the  stockyards  in  the 

240 


THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS  241 

capacity  of  live  stock  reporters  for  thirty  years,  and 
both  are  judges  par  excellence  of  live  stock.  In  fact, 
they  can  give  old  stock  dealers  pointers  on  the  business; 
and  what  they  do  not  know  about  the  market  no  one 
knows.  They  are  now  what  the  new  generation  calls 
"old"  men,  and  are  both  as  popular  as  pencil-pushers 
usually  are — for  who  ever  met  a  set  of  more  boon  com- 
panions than  the  "newsmen"?  They  know  everybody 
and  everybody  knows  them.  They  have  noses  for  news 
sharper  than  a  terrier's  for  rats,  and  can  smell  a  deal 
before  the  dealers  know  the  terms. 

While  they  are  in  a  sense  competitors,  they  are  the 
best  of  friends  and  "scoop"  each  other  good-naturedly. 
In  short,  it  would  be  a  sad  day  for  the  yards  should 
either  of  them  change  their  "berth,"  so  here's  to  them 
both,  and  long  may  they  live  to  push  the  pencil. 


GUS  THE  HAM  TESTER. 

NOT  the  least  important  function  among  the  packers, 
and  one  which  must  be  in  the  hands  of  one  who  has  the 
"know  how, "is  that  of  testing  the  hams  to  grade  them 
for  the  market.  There  are  three  of  these  grades,  No.  1 


GUS  TESTING  HAMS. 

being,  of  course,  the  sweetest  and  choicest  and  bringing 
the  highest  prices;  No.  2,  somewhat  inferior  and  sold 
for  less  money;  and  No.  3,  which,  like  charity,  covers 
a  multitude  of  sins,  and  sometimes  includes  specimens 
which,  as  Gus  says,  should  be  called  83.  When  asked 
what  becomes  of  the  83,  he  said  they  are  sent  to  South 
Chicago,  where  they  are  esteemed  as  a  great  delicacy  in 

242 


THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  243 

the  Bohemian  and  Polish  settlements,  whose  inhabit- 
ants probably  prefer  vintage  of  '33  ham,  just  as  other 
people  like  Rip  van  Winkle  liquors. 

Gus  is  a  lightning  expert  at  this  business,  and  tests 
about  1,000  hams  a  day.  He  has  a  very  fine  piece  of 
steel,  over  a  foot  in  length,  and  anything  Gus 
sticks  his  steel  into  musi  satisfy  his  fastidious  judg- 
ment or  he  marks  it  down.  These  hams  are  exported 
to  all  parts  of  the  globe  and  must  "stand  fire,"  as  this 
trade  is  sought  for.  In  fact,  the  office  of  ham  testing 
is  quite  as  responsible  as  those  of  wine  and  tea  testing, 
and  requires  quite  as  nice  a  sense  of  distinctions. 

The  meat  canning  and  preserving  establishment  of 
Libby,  McNeil  &  Libby  is  the  largest  in  the  country. 
All  kinds  of  meat  are  canned  and  preserved  by  them 
and  shipped  to  every  part  of  the  world.  Their  canning 
factory  and  tin  shop  are  among  the  most  interesting 
sights  of  the  stockyards.  Some  idea  of  the  magnitude 
of  their  plant  may  be  gained  from  the  knowledge  that 
two  car  loads  of  tin  and  4,000  pounds  of  solder  are  used 
daily  in  the  manufacture  of  the  tins  used  on  their 
canned  products.  A  remarkable  machine  in  the  tin 
shop,  and  the  only  one  in  existence,  solders  the  top  and 
bottom  on  35,000  rectangular  shaped  cans  per  day, 
as  they  pass  through  it  in  a  continuous  stream.  It  is 
the  invention  of  Mr.  Charles  H.  Emery,  General  Super- 
intendent for  Libby,  McNeil  &  Libby,  to  whom  he  sold 
the  patent  rights  on  the  machine. 


MIXING  BUTTERINE. 

MANUFACTURE  OP  BUTTERINE. 

PREJUDICE  against  butterine  exists  only  in  the  minds 
of  the  uninformed.  Butteriue  is  even  supposed  by 
squeamish  individuals  to  be  somehow  nasty,  although  if 
questioned  as  to  their  reason  for  this  supposition  they 
are  put  to  it  for  an  answer.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  this 
prejudice  is  one  of  those  popular  superstitious  which 
live  on  ignorance,  the  miasma  of  intellectual  swamps. 

Analyze  butterine  by  the  nicest  chemical  tests  and 
you  find  in  it  only  the  purest  and  most  nutritious  ele- 
ments; examine  its  manufacture  and  the  neatast  house- 
wife would  delight  in  places  and  processes  so  immacu- 
late. There  is  no  secret  connected  with  the  manufacture 
of  butterine.  Every  factory  in  the  Union  Stockyards 
is  wide  open  for  public  inspection,  and  indeed,  so  far 
above  public  expectation  is  the  management  of  the 
factories  that  it  is  entirely  to  their  interest  to  help 


THE   UNION    STOCKYARDS  245 

the  public  to  examine  into  their  methods,  With  that 
self-interest  in  VIBW  which  actuates  every  one,  guides 
are  furnished  visitors  in  their  tours  of  inspection 

Government  officials  superintend  the  manufacture 
of  the  butterine  at  these  factories  and  thus  its  purity, 
wholesomeness  and  correct  weight  are  assured.  Butter- 
ine,  as  turned  out  by  the  Chicago  factories,  is  composed 


PACKING  BUTTERINE. 

of  butter,  butter  oil,  neutral  lard  and  oleooil.  The  butter 
ingredient  is  Elgin  creamery  butter,  and  butter  made 
at  the  factory  from  Jersey  cream;  the  butter  oil, 
which  is  used  in  small  quantitiea  to  soften  the  text- 
ure of  the  butterine  is  a  pure  and  nutritious  vege- 
table oil  made  by  pressing  the  oil  from  the  American 
cottonseed;  neutral  lard  is  a  pure,  chilled  leaf  lard, 
rendered  at  a  low  temperature  and  then  left  in  a  cold 
bath  for  forty-eight  hours  to  remove  all  its  flavor;  while 
oleo  oil  is  a  product  of  the  choicest  beef  fat, chilled  in  ice 


246  ILLtrSTUATEE)  HISTORY 

water  and  melted, and  from  this  is  extracted  a  soluble  oil 
from  which  every  particle  of  stearine  is  removed.  Oleo  oil 
is  the  only  beef  product  used  in  butterine.  All  of  these 
ingredients,  with  the  addition  of  salt,  are  carefully 
churned  and  worked  together, the  result  being  one  of  the 
most  wholesome  food  products  on  the  market,  and  sold 
under  its  own  nomenclature  is  as  legitimatj  a  product 
as  butter. 

Butterine  is  generally  spoken  of  as  a  substitute  for 
and  competitor  of  butter,  but  why  it  should  be  more  so 
than  pumpkin  pie  is  a  substitute  for  and  competitor  of 
apple  pie  is  not  apparent.  It  does  not  appear  to  have 
injured  the  butter  market.  What  it  actually  has  done 
to  a  large  extent,  and,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  eventually 
do  entirely,  is  to  drive  bad  butter  out  of  the  market. 
Why  should  a  poor  man  eat  bad  butter  when  he  can  get 
good  butterine  at  a  lo.ver  price,  which  is  also  an  econ- 
omy in  quantity  of  one-third  when  used  in  cooking. 

There  was  a  time  in  the  history  of  butterine  when 
it  was  possible  to  sell  it  for  genuine  butter,  and  because 
this  was  frequently  done  the  public  conceived  the  idea 
that  butterine,  or  oleomargarine  as  it  was  then  popu- 
lary  called,  would  not  sell  on  its  own  merits.  The  publi  c 
was  mistaken.  No  better  legislation  for  the  manufacture 
of  butterine  could  have  been  enacted  than  that  which 
prohibited  the  sale  of  oleomargarine  under  the  name  of 
butter.  The  manufacturer  had  an  article  of  which  he 
had  no  reason  to  be  ashamed, and  the  noise  of  special  leg- 
islation against  his  product  served  to  advertise  its  mer- 
its, to  his  great  advantage.  Indeed,  so  far  has  the  preju- 
dice against  butteriue  been  overcome  since  then, that  at 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  247 

a  recent  state  fair  at  Mansfield, Ohio,butterine  contested 
with  Jersey  butter  for  the  blue  ribbon,  and  won. 

Although  butterine  is  the  name  generally  used  to  des- 
ignate this  product,  it  is  possible  that  in  the  near 
future  oleomargarine  will  be  the  name  seen  on  the 
packages  of  butteriue,  it  having  been  recently  urged  by 
the  opponents  of  butterine,  and  agreed  to  by  the  gov- 
ernment, that  butterine  is  a  name  calculated  to  deceive 
the  public  into  taking  it  for  a  product  of  the  dairy, 


WEIGHING  BUTTERINE. 

especially  as  a  cow  is  frequently  used  as  a  trademark. 
This  will  in  no  wise  injure  the  butterine  trade,  how- 
ever, for  the  words  oleomargarine  and  butterine  have 
long  been  accepted  as  synonymous  by  the  general  pub- 
lic, thanks  to  the  extensive  advertising  afforded  by  ad- 
verse legislation.  So  the  only  result  will  be  to  banish 
the  euphonious  word  butterine  from  the  language,  and 
give  the  gentle  Jersey  a  chance  to  withdraw  from  lending 
her  countenance  to  a  product  for  which  she  is  in  no 
wise  responsible. 


A  RANCHMAN'S  HOME. 

CATTLE  RANCHES  AND  RANGING. 

OF  all  the  various  businesses  with  which  the  Union 
Stockyards  are  connected,  none  are  more  interesting  or 
picturesque  than  that  of  cattle  raising  on  the  western 
plains  The  ranch  is  the  cradle  for  the  stockyards,  as 
it  were,  the  nursery  where  the  calf  is  fatted  for  slaugh- 
ter. 

The  ranch  as  an  institution  is  practically  the  same 
whether  found  in  Texas,  Montana,  or  the  intermediate 
states.  Texas  is,  of  course,  the  birthplace — if  the 
expression  may  be  allowed — of  the  ranch.  From  that 
state  the  business  spread  to  nearly  all  the  western  states, 
until,  during  the  early  eighties,  nearly  the  entire  West 
was  simply  a  great  cow  pasture.  Now,  however,  there 
are  only  a  dozen  or  so  of  states  in  which  the  ranch  has 
a  place,  prominent  among  which  are  Texas,  New  Mex- 

248 


THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS  249 

ico,  Arizona,  Wyoming,  Montana,  the  Dakotas,  Indian 
Territory,  Washington,  Colorado,  Idaho  and  Oregon. 

One  of  the  great  factors  in  the  cattle  trade  is  the 
great  amount  of  western  cattle,  "rangers,"  as  they  are 
called  in  stockyards  phraseology,  which  come  to  market 
during  the  months  of  August,  September,  October  and 
November.  During  these  months  the  northwestern 
states  furnish  the  greater  amount  of  beef  cattlo.  These 
cattle  are  bred  mostly  in  the  southern  states  and  ter- 
ritories— Texas,  Indian  Territory  and  Arizona  furnish- 
ing the  bulk  of  them.  The  cattle  are  driven  North 
when  they  are  two-year-olds  and  allowed  to  run  on  gov- 
ernment lands  for  two  years.  The  change  of  climate 
and  the  sweet  grass  of  the  North  increases  their  size 
and  quality.  Western  rangers  are  now  furnishing  to 
the  Chicago  market  during  the  fall  most  of  the  bsef 
and  export  cattle  used  here.  Sevent\T-five  per  cent  of  all 
the  range  cattle  come  to  the  Union  Stockyards.  Some 
idea  of  the  close  relations  existing  between  the  stock- 
yards and  the  ranch  may  be  formed  when  it  is  said 
that  nearly  $15,000,000  are  advanced  in  a  year  by  the 
live  stock  commissioners  at  Chicago  on  the  growing 
crop  of  fall  steers,yearlings,  etc.,  which  are  running  wild 
and  getting  fat  in  unconscious  anticipation  of  bringing 
good  prices  and  paying  off  their  owners' debt.  This  is 
a  rnild  form  of  the  great  mortgage  evil  which  envel- 
oped the  planters  of  the  South  before  the  war,  whose 
cotton  crops  were  mortgaged  to  their  full  value  every 
year  before  the  crop  was  ripe, 

However,the  conditions  existing  at  the  present  time 
in  the  cattle  business  are  favorable  for  a  boom. 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  251 

The  last  government  live  stock  report  gives  the  num- 
ber of  cattle,  not  including  milk  cows,  in  this  country 
in  January  as  32,085,000  This  is  the  smallest  num- 
ber known  since  1880,  being  2,279,000  head  less  than 
last  year. 

The  following  will  give  an  idea  of  the  number  of  cat- 
tle now  in  some  of  the  principal  range  and  agricultural 
states  of  the  West:  Texas,  5,518,644;  Iowa,  2,336,973; 
Kansas,  1,766,245;  Missouri,  1,686,990;  Illinois,  1,430,- 
976;  Montana,!,  153,537;  Nebraska,  162,469;  Wyoming, 
751,849;  Colorado,  926,960;  South  Dakota,  399,814; 
North  Dakota,  255,509.  These  numbers  do  not  include 
dairy  cattle. 

All  those  now  in  the  cattle  business  will  remem- 
ber the  sudden  rise  in  the  price  of  cattle  in  the 
spring  of  1880.  During  the  winter  of  that  year  Texas 
yearlings  were  contracted  for  at  $8  and  $9  per  head, 
while  the  following  spring  they  found  a  ready  sale  for 
$13  and  $14  at  Dodge  City.  Between  that  time  and 
1886  there  was  an  enormous  boom  in  range  cattle, 
English  capitalists  in  particular  investing  heavily  in 
western  interests.  The  capitalists  and  country  were 
new  to  each  other,  while  ranging  cattle  was  as  new  an 
experience  to  the  Englishmen  as  breeding  horses  would 
be  to  the  Eskimos.  The  result  was  inevitable;  many 
of  them  returned  to  their  own  country  little  more  than 
paupers  in  purse,  but  with  a  large  reserve  fund  of  ex- 
perience upon  which  their  sons  have  since  drawn  to 
advantage. 

Since  then  the  cattle  business  has  dropped  back  onto 
the  skillful, experienced  American,  where  it  properly  be- 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


253 


longs,and  froin  whom  the  foreigners  purchased  it.  There 
is  now,  as  then,  plenty  of  idlecapitai,  particularly  in 
Europe, to  invest  in  the  now  well  understood  enterprise 
of  raising  cattle,  and  experience  will  make  the  profits 
sure  and  lessen  the  risks. 

At  that  time  beef  cattle  were  not  bringing  any  better 
prices  than  now,  when  the  average  prices  for  good  steers 
is  $86  per  head.  The  country  was  then, as  now, recover- 
ing from  a  terrible  financial  panic,  and  the  restoration 
of  confidence  ushered  in  an  era  of  almost  reckless  in- 


A  ROUND-UP. 

vestment  of  money.  Many  a  lesson  will  the  failures 
of  that  time  furnish  the  investors  of  the  near  future. 
One  of  the  sources  of  loss  to  tho  cattlemen  of  the  past 
and  present  is  being  somewhat  abated,  though  by  no 
means  as  rapidly  or  effectually  as  might  bi  expected. 
This  is  the  loss  from  the  ravages  of  Indians,  wolves  and 
coyotes.  These  three  pests  are  harder  on  cattle  than 
the  hardest  Montana  winter.  There  is  actually  no 


254 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


defense  against  Indians,  for  they  scout  almost  all  over 
the  country,  and  swooping  down  on  the  unprotected 
cattle,  kill  the  choicest  and  carry  off  the  loins,  leaving 
the  remainder  of  the  carcass  for  the  buzzards. 
Sometimes  eighty  or  a  hundred  head  of  cattle  have  been 
found  slaughtered  at  one  time  in  this  way.  The  ranch- 
man has  no  means  of  redress,  and  simply  endures  what 
he  cannot  cure.  Against  the  wolves, however,  he  may 
fight  and  vent  his  irritation.  Not  that  it  does  much  good, 


NIGHT  HERDING. 

for  the  wolf  seems  proof  against  poison  and  is  not  found 
napping  often  enough  to  make  it  easy  to  pick  him  off 
with  bullets.  The  favorite  way  now  is  to  put  out  a  carcass 
and  then  patiently  wait  for  darkness  to  bring  the  wolves 
to  devour  it  The  gleam  of  their  eyes  makes  good  targets 
and  the  cowboys  amuse  themselves  in  shooting  the  hun- 
gry beasts.  There  is  also  a  bounty  offered  by  each  state  of 
$8  for  every  wolf  scalp,  and  this  reward  is  a  better  in- 
centive than  any  other  to  the  range  rider  to  keep  a  bul- 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


255 


let  always  ready  for  the  pestiferous  beast.  Many  of  the 
range  riders  also  keep  packs  of  greyhounds  and  stag- 
hounds  with  which  to  destroy  them.  Indeed,  riding 
the  range  with  hounds  is  as  effectual  as  any  method  yet 
tried  for  the  extermination  of  the  wolves,  and  many  a 
calf  and  colt  that  would  otherwise  meet  an  early  death 
by  coyotes, and  cow  and  horse  that  might  suffer  an  ab- 
breviated career  by  timber  wolves,  will  thus  be  spared 
to  the  owner's  profit. 


CUTTING    OUT. 

A  point  of  advantage  which  the  cattlemen  of  the 
present  have  over  those  of  the  past  is  in  the  breed  of  cattle 
raised.  The  old  fashioned,  long  horned  Texas  steers  are 
becoming  extinct  by  inbreeding  with  Shorthorns, Here- 
fords,  Durhams  and  Polled  Angus.  In  fact,  as  good 
specimens  of  these  breeds  as  can  be  seen  anywhere  are 
now  being  shipped  from  the  southwestern  states  to 
Chicago.  The  quality  of  the  cattle  raised  throughout 
the  West  is  being  raised,  and  this  is  an  advantage  in 


256  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

that  these  well-bred  animals  dress  far  more  lhan  thj 
old  style  common  ones. 

Another  point  of  immunity  from  Joss  now  enjoyed 
by  cattlemen  is  found  in  the  inspection  of  brands  at 
the  markets.  The  time  was  when  the  theft,  or  "rus- 
tling," as  it  was  called,  of  hundreds  of  heads  of  cattle, 
formed  a  serious  loss  to  the  owners,  while  bringing 
small  fortunes  each  year  to  the  thieves,  who  could  ship 
the  stolen  cattle  to  any  market  with  impunity.  Now 


ROPING, 

the  presence  of  inspectors  appointed  by  the  state 
boards  of  stock  commissioners  at  the  different  markets 
renders  such  thefts  practically  impossible.  The  in- 
spectors at  the  Union  Stockyards  handle  the  business 
in  a  manner  which  is  nearly  perfect.  Some  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  business  may  be  gained  when  it  is 
said  that  Chief  Inspector  J.  H.  Landers  for  Montana  at 
the  Union  Stockyards  has  received  and  disbursed  bun- 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


257 


dreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  from  the  sale  of  stolen 
and  strayed  cattle  on  the  eastern  markets.  A  large 
proportion  of  this  money  has  gone  to  the  owners  of  a 
few  head  of  cattle  whose  cattle  got  mixed  up  with  a 
big  outfit  and  were  sent  to  market  without  the  owners' 
knowledge.  But  the  inspectors  caught  them,  and,  if 
the  owner  had  his  brand  registered,  he  received  his 


LOOKING    FOR  A  BRAND. 

money  almost  as  soon  as  if  he  had  shipped  the  cattle 
himself.  Of  the  money  received  for  estrays  but  a  small 
proportion  has  been  turned  into  the  state,  and  even 
where  it  has,  if  a  man  can  prove  by  the  records  that 
money  belonging  to  him  from  the  sale  of  one  stray  steer 
has  gone  into  the  treasury,  it  is  never  too  late  for  him 
to  recover  it. 

Mr.  Landers  is  judge,  jury  and  law  on  this  subject 


258 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


at  the  Union  Stockyards,  Chicago,  and  the  qualifica- 
tions required  to  fill  the  position  are  such  as  have  not 
been  bestowed  upon  every  one,  The  work  of  tracing 
brands  alone  will  be  seen  to  be  no  small  task  when  it 
is  known  that  Montana  alone  has  15,000  different 
brands. 

Until  the  present  time  Texas  has  had  almost  a  mo- 


AN  OBSTINATE  ONE. 

nopoly  of  the  business  of  furnishing  cattlemen  of  other 
states  with  the  young  steers  with  which  to  re-stock 
their  ranches  It  is  now  evident  that  Texas  alone  can- 
not supply  this  demand  in  the  future, and  it  is  probable 
that  Arizona,  Washington  and  Idaho  combined  will 
soon  equal  Texas,  as  she  now  ranks,  as  a  source  for  this 
supply. 

With  this  change  and  with  the  comparatively  recent 


OF  THE   UNION  STOCKYARDS 


259 


introduction  of  the  railroad  into  the  West,  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  features  of  cattle  ranging  has  been 
abandoned.  That  was  the  existence  of  the  "great  trail" 
to  the  North,  over  which  thousands  of  cattle  might  be 
seen  every  year  slowly  grazing  their  way  northward. 
There  was  a  time,  not  so  long  ago,  when  to  bring  cattle 


BRANDING. 

North  in  this  manner  was  a  lucrative  business  by  itself. 
But  that  time  is  past,  for  the  steel  trail  now  answers 
all  the  purposes  at  less  cost. 

Ogalalla  was,  for  a  Jong  time,  the  delivery  station  of 
these  herds  from  the  South,  and  there  the  attendant 
cowboys  from  Texas  relinquished  their  charge,  which 
was  at  once  assumed  by  the  boys  of  the  North  and 
West.  But  the  "van  of  empire"  westward  took  its 


260  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

way,  and  with  it,  came  the  men  of  brawn  who  pre- 
empted the  site  of  the  great  highway  between  North  and 
South  and  transformed  it  into  fields  of  golden  grain 
The  trail  was  moved  west,  farther  west  and  westward 
again,  the  plowshare  obliterating  it  each  time,  until 
one  day  a  snorting  steam  monster  sped  across  the  plains, 
drawing  behind  it  a  serpentine  line  of  cars  filled  with 
cattle.  Thenceforth  the  "great  trail"  was  only  a 
memory  to  cattlemen,  and,  possibly,  a  regret  to  the 
cattle  who  were  transferred  in  the  uncomfortable  modern 
way,  so  harrowing  that  the  ghosts  of  their  ancestors 
must  have  stampeded  from  the  place.  The  old  Chis- 
holm  trail  and  Furkey  track  are  places  of  the  past,  and 
the  stormy  adventures  of  early  pioneer  days  associated 
with  them  are  mere  seldom  recalled  memories. 

From  those  early  days  date  the  cowboys.  The  cowboy 
has  been  described  as  a  man  attached  to  a  pair  of  gigan- 
tic spurs,  a  being  who  is  a  hybrid  of  man  and  horse,  a 
sort  of  inferior  Centaur,  in  fact.  The  duty  of  the  cow- 
boys requires  them  to  be  nearly  always  in  the  saddle. 
Twice  a  year  occur  the  great  occasions  of  their  most 
arduous  labors,  the  grand  round-up.  Then  the  cowboy 
is  seen  in  all  the  glory  of  complete  accouterments  and 
active  accomplishments.  The  round-up  is  the  techni- 
cal term  for  the  great  semi-annual  cattle  branding. 
The  preliminary  step  toward  the  round-up  is  for  all  the 
cowboys  of  each  ranch  to  round  up  their  loose  ponies, 
of  which  each  cowboy  has  from  six  to  ten,  and  get 
them  in  order  "for  the  fray.''  Each  having  selected 
the  pony  which  he  desires  to  ride,  the  remainder  are 
turned  over  for  safe  keeping  to  a  gentleman  known  as 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


261 


the  "horse  wrangler. "  It  is  the  duty  of  the  horse  wran- 
gler to  keep  the  ponies  together  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
mess  wagon,  ready  for  the  cowboys'  use.  Mess  wagon 
and  wrangler  then  start  for  the  prospective  scene  of  the 
round-up,  while  the  cowboys  ride  out  to  a  circle  of  fifty 
miles  in  diameter.  Whatever  happens  to  be  within  this 
radius  at  the  time  is  rounded  up — that  is,  driven  to  the 


BRANDING    CALVES. 

center.  It  may  be  late  at  night  before  the  cattle  are 
quietly  grazing  on  the  plains  about  the  mess  wagon, and 
the  hungry  cowboys  are  squatted  down  about  the  fire 
greedily  devouring  their  broiled  beef  and  drinking  their 
hot  coffee.  The  beef,  by  the  \vay,  is  obtained  by  shoot- 
ing the  first  fat  bullock  which  captures  the  cowboys' 
eyes,  a  liberty  which  is  accorded  them  without  ques- 
tion by  the  owners. 
During  the  night  the  cattle  are  guarded  carefully, 


262  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

four  shifts  of  cowboys  taking  turns  in  this  nocturnal 
watch.  At  night  there  is  always  danger  of  a  stampede, 
the  breaking  of  a  twig,  a  saddled  pony  shaking  himself, 
a  rabbit  running  by  in  the  moonlight,  or  a  clap  of  thun- 
der during  a  storm  being  all  that  is  needed  to  start  the 
cattle  to  their  feet  and  send  them  galloping  wildly 
across  the  prairies.  Then  there  is  only  one  thing  to 
do;  the  cattle  must  be  '"milled"  until  tired  out.  Sev- 
eral of  the  speediest  riders  head  oft'  the  leaders  of  the 
stampede,  turning  them  until  the  whole  great  herd  is 
galloping  in  a  circle,which  is  constantly  narrowed  until 
the  cattle  are  tired  out  and  stop  in  a  bunch.  This  is 
the  method  to  which  the  cowboys  have  given  the  ex- 
pressive name  of  milling  To  prevent  a  stampede  at 
night  the  cowboys  on  guard  usually  sing  and  whistle, 
thus  making  noise  enough  to  rob  a  sudden  sound  of  the 
grewsomeness  which  darkness  always  gives  it,  even  to 
the  human  ear. 

The  morning  after  the  round-up  the  work  begins  of 
"cutting  out"  the  calves  to  be  branded.  Each  cowboy 
selects  a  maverick,  and  riding  into  the  herd  "cuts  him 
out,"  lassos  him  and  turns  him  over  to  the  brander, 
who  inflicts  momentary  torture  on  the  animal  with  his 
hot  iron.  It  rnay  be  explained  in  passing  that  maverick 
was  once  a  proper  noun.  It  was  the  name  of  an  old 
Dutch  ranchman  who  had  a  standing  aversion,  arising 
either  from  negligence  or  principle,  to  branding  his 
stock.  And  so  the  cowboys  came  to  call  all  cattle  with- 
out a  brand  "mavericks. " 

This  is  supposed  to  be  a  spring  round-up,  occurring 
about  the  first  of  March.  Six  months  later  a  fall,  or 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


263 


"beef  round-up, "  takes  place,  when  the  calves  missed 
in  the  spring  are  branded.  The  cattle  intended  for  ship- 
ment are  then  cut  out,  and  put  on  the  trail  leading  to 
the  nearest  shipping  point,  being  driven  along  at  the 
slow  rate  of  ten  miles  a  day  and  allowed  to  graze  by  the 
way,  thus  arriving  at  the  shipping  station  fat  and  in 
good  condition.  When  the  cattle  are  on  board  the  train 


COON-CAN — AHORSE  APIECE. 

the  cowboys  are  paid  off.  Some  of  the  old  hands  are 
kept  on  the  pay  roll,  while  the  others  must  "rustle  for 
themselves"  until  next  spring — that  is,  "sweat  out," 
work  for  their  board  or  "go  visiting,"  riding  the 
"chuck  line." 

Cowboys  are  not  the  hard  characters  they  are  generally 
supposed  to  be.     Many  of  them  save  their  money  and 


264  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

soon  have  ranches  of  their  own  or  in  partnership. 
Others,  however,  make  for  the  nearest  town  and  throw 
their  money  away  on  "rot-gut"  whisky,  sold  at  a  high 
price,  staying  in  town  until  their  season's  earnings  are 
dissipated  in  dissipation.  Card  playing,  particularly 
the  game  of  "coon-can,"  and  stag  dances  are  the  prin- 
cipal amusements  of  the  cowboys.  There  are  always 


COON-CAN — TWO  HORSES. 

some  among  them  who  can  sing,  or  own  and  thrum 
on  some  instrument,  and  these  accomplished  individ- 
uals are  in  great  demand.  Frequently,  in  the  old  days, 
there  was  a  liberal  sprinkling  of  penniless  "younger 
sons"  of  aristocratic  old  European  families,  but,  sad 
to  relate,  their  fast  habits  counterbalanced  any  good 
effects  which  their  higher  education  might  have  had 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


265 


on  the  rough-and-tumble,  quick  tempered,  big  hearted 
sons  of  the  wild  and  woolly  West. 

But  the  spurred  and  sombreroed  cowboy  will  soon  be 
only  a  stirring  memory  of  the  past,  going  the  way  of 
the  "great  trail."  For  civilization  and  the  granger  are 
moving  West,  and  soon  there  will  be  no  ranges  to  ride, 
the  great  wild  plains  becoming  pastures  enclosed  by 
wire  fences,  and  the  daring  range  riders  becoming  civ- 
ilized, heavy  footed,  bewhiskered  farmers,  or,  to  save 
themselves  from  such  a  fate,  attach  ing  themselves  to  the 
only  Wild  West  which  will  soon  remain — Buffalo  Bill's. 


A  TYPICAL  COWBOY. 


RANGE  HORSES: 

PAST,  PRESENT  AND  FUTURE. 

RAISING  horses  on  the  western  plains  is,  if  possible, 
an  even  more  interesting  industry  than  that  of  rais- 
ing cattle. 

• 

The  first  range  horse  was  the  bronco,  as  the  Mexi- 
cans call  their  little  wild  horses.  The  name  has  be- 
come so  indissolubly  attached,  in  the  American  mind, 
with  a  fractious  untamed  horse  from  the  West,  that 
bronco  is  now  to  most  people  merely  another  name  for 
an  equine  incorrigible,  just  as  arab  is  now  a  synonym 
for  a  little  vagrant  of  the  streets. 

A  few  years  ago  these  little  Mexican  and  Texan  ponies, 
or  broncos,  could  be  bad  foj  a  mere  song,  and  con- 
sequently they  were  purchased  by  the  thousands  and  let 
loose  to  roam  the  western  ranges.  The  ranchmen  paid 
no  attention  to  qualit}7  in  breeding.  The  one  consid- 
eration which  occupied  their  minds  was  that  of  quan- 
tity; if  the  ponies  multiplied  rapidly  they  were  satis- 
fied. As  a  result  there  were  shipped  to  market,  lota 
of  wretched,  inbred  little  brutes  called  horses,  animals 

266 


THE   UNION  STOCKYARDS  267 

which  were  unbroken  (not  to  say  unbreakable),  unruly, 
fit  for  neither  harness  nor  saddle,  and  hardly  worth  the 
cost  of  shipping. 

During  the  last  five  or  six  years,  however,  strenuous 
efforts  have  been  made  to  cull  out  these  scrubs  and  in- 
troduce better  blood.  In  fact,  the  Mexican  bronco  is 
following  the  Texas  steer  to  extinction  by  inbreeding 
with  better  stock. 

J.  S  Cooper,  of  the  Chicago  horse  market,  who  has 
had  as  much  experience  with  western  horses  as  any 
man  living,  says  that  the  time  has  come  when  range 
horses  with  a  light  brand  (the  brand  which  is  burned 
in  deeply  being  a  disfigurement)  will  sell  to  better  ad- 
vantage than  ever  before.  During  the  last  six  years  the 
ranches  have,  generally,  become  the  property  of  ex- 
periencedranchmen,to  whom  all  breeds  of  horses  and  the 
wants  of  the  country  in  that  line  are  thoroughly  famil- 
iar, and  who  by  judicious  breeding  to  first-class  draft, 
carriage  and  hackney  stallions,  have  produced  stock 
which  will  compare  favorably  with  horses  raised  any- 
where in  the  middle  West.  The  great  trouble  in  the  past 
was  that  the  ranchmen  shipped  in  such  wild  horses  by 
the  carloads, that  they  had  to  be  sold  in  carload  lots,un- 
haltered.  A  great  deal  of  money  was  lost  in  this  way. 
The  coming  range  consignments  will  be  thoroughly 
worked  animals,  broken  to  harness, and  fit  for  any  pur- 
pose. The  common  horse  of  eastern  production  is  now 
less  durable  for  working  purposes  than  the  ranch  horse, 
the  latter  having  better  feet  and  greater  endurance 
than  the  former,  although  heretofore  the  range  horses 
shipped  East  were  so  small  and  nervous  that  breaking 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  269 

them  to  harness  usually  broke  their  hearts.  But  the 
revolution — or  should  \ve  say  evolution? — of  the  range 
horse  is  now  as  complete  as  the  change  in  range  cattle. 
They  have  been  graded  up  to  such  a  fine  point  that  the 
days  of  the  bronco  are  over  forever  on  most  of  the  great 
ranches. 

Mr.  Cooper's  advice  to  ranchmen  is  to  "go  on  and 
breed,  paying  particular  attention  to  the  draft  horses, 
which  are  selling  for  as  much  now  as  five  or  six  years 
ago;  also  avoid  a  large  brand,  as  a  glaring  brand  on 
a  horse  is  as  bad  in  its  way  as  the  brand  of  Cain  on  a 
man."  Mr.  Cooper  is  himself  a  large  breeder,  and  has 
great  faith  in  the  future  of  the  breeding  industry,  the 
bicycle  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

The  range  horse  is  a  creature  of  beauty  on  his  native 
heath,  wild,  strong  and  fleet  as  the  prairie  winds. 
Horses  do  not  herd  as  cattle  do,  by  the  hundreds  and 
thousands,  but  in  groups  of  from  twenty-five  to  forty. 
At  the  head  of  each  group  is  a  stallion,  the  lord  of  the 
family,  the  king  of  his  harem  of  mares.  Standing  up- 
on a  distant  eminence  and  looking  down  upon  the  great 
plains,  it  is  a  pretty  sight  to  see  the  hundreds  of  small 
herds  quietly  grazing  near  each  other  but  never  by  any 
chance  mingling.  On  the  outside  of  each  little  herd 
grazes  the  great  stallion  who  is  the  pater  familias,  his 
watchful  eye  and  keen  scent  quick  to  detect  the  ap- 
proach of  danger.  At  the  first  approach  of  an  enemy 
every  stallion,  by  some  secret  communication  with  his 
herd,  gallops  across  the  plains,  followed  by  his  family, 
which  trusts  to  his  guidance  and  protection  with  filial 
confidence.  Frequently,  when  the  herds  are  grazing 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

quietly,  a  wily  stallion  will  try  to  recruit  his  own  herd 
by  "cutting  out"  a  filly  or  young  horse  from  some  other 
herd.  The  stallion  of  the  robbed  herd  never  allows  such 
depredations  without  at  least  an  attempt  to  recover  the 
stolen  member  of  his  family,  and  pursues  the  thief  and 
his  prey  into  the  very  heart  of  the  enemy's  camp.  Some- 
times he  is  so  successful  that  he  not  only  brings  back 
the  victim,  but  cuts  out  a  filly  belonging  to  the  enemy. 
It  is  the  story  of  the  Sabine  women  acted  over  again, 
with  a  little  just  retaliation  added.  Indeed,  any  skeptic 
of  equine  intelligence  has  but  to  spend  a  day  on  the 
plains,  and  he  will  not  only  be  convinced  but  amazed 
at  the  horse's  sagacity.  In  fact,  to  sit  on  a  hill-top 
and  watch  the  maneuvers  of  these  wild  horses  of  the 
plains  is  a  far  more  thrilling  sight  than  to  view  the 
tricks  of  the  best  string  of  circus  horses  that  ever  danced 
to  music 


IN  COACH  AND  SADDLE. 

ONE  of  the  most  rational  fashions  of  the  day  is  expert 
driving  and  riding.  There  are  very  few  ladies  or  gen- 
tlemen of  the  present  generation  who  do  not  under- 
stand, or  at  least  attempt  to  understand,  the  skillful 
handling  of  the  reins.  And  there  can  be  no  more  rea- 
sonable and  healthful  recreation. 

It  is  not  every  one  who  understands  instinctively  how 
to  drive  well,  nor  can  every  one  sit  his  horse  like  a 
centaur.  Correct  teaching,  however,  will  go  far  toward 
accomplishing  those  results;  without  it  they  will  be  as 
impossible  as  astronomy  without  mathematics.  It  is 
the  object  of  this  article  to  provide  the  amateur  driver 
and  rider  with  a  few  simple  rules  by  the  application 
and  practice  of  which  he  may  lay  the  foundation  for 
the  much  admired  skill.  First,  let  us  talk  about  the 
four-in-hand,  the  revival  of  interest  in  which  promises 
to  be  a  long-lived  fad,  as  popular  as  it  deserves  to  be. 

To  begin  with,  do  not  attempt  to  drive  a  four-in-hand 
if  you  are  not  sure  of  your  head.  No  amount  of  tech- 
nical skill  in  the  driver  nor  training  in  the  horses  will 
compensate,  in  an  emergency,  for  lack  of  complete  self- 
possession.  The  second  essential  is  a  thoroughly  com  • 
petent  teacher,  a  coachman  who  is  as  much  at  home  on 
the  box  as  a  sailor  is  on  deck.  He,  if  he  be  conscientious, 
will  soon  be  able  to  tell  you  if  you  have  the  courage 

271 


272 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 


WELL  IN  HAND. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  273 

and  coolness, decision  and  judgment,strength  and  flexi- 
bility of  hand  and  powers  of  endurance  necessary  to 
become  a  successful  four-in-hand  driver.  Of  course,  if 
his  verdict  is  negative,  there  is  yet  no  law  to  prevent 
you  from  drilling  yourself  to  acquire  the  necessary 
qualities,  and  it  is  said  that  nothing  is  impossible  to 
those  who  will.  You  may  practice  with  Indian  clubs, 
dumb-bells,  sculls  and  on  the  horizontal  bars  to  devel- 
op your  muscle  (indeed,  muscle  is  indispensable  to  the 
four-in-hand  driver),  and  by  all  sorts  of  athletic  ex- 
ercises develop  your  strength  and  courage. 

Assuming,  however,  that  the  pupil  has  the  necessary 
physical  attributes,  and  thoroughly  understands  how 
to  command  a  coach  and  pair,  the  first  lesson  will  con- 
sist in  learning  how  to  sit  en  the  box.  The  position  of 
the  driver  of  a  four-in-hand  is  more  important  than 
that  of  the  driver  of  any  other  sort  of  carriage.  He 
must  not  stand  almost  upright,  as  was  once  the  fashion, 
nor  must  he  assume  the  attitude  of  a  lady  driving  a 
pony  phaeton,  for  upon  his  readiness  to  exert  his  ut- 
most strength  and  weight  at  a  moment's  notice,  to 
prevent  the  horses  from  bolting,  falling  or  any  other 
mishap,  depends  the  safety  of  his  party,  who  have  a 
right  to  expect  his  utmost  care.  The  best  way  to  learn 
this  is  for  the  pupil  to  sit  quietly  by  the  side  of  the 
teacher  during  the  first  few  lessons,  and,  without  touch- 
ing the  reins,  observe  how  he  conducts  himself.  There 
is  much  to  be  learned  in  this  way,  as  you  will  soon  see. 
Notice  how  he  seats  himself,  handles  the  reins,  holds 
the  whip  and  commands  his  horses.  It  looks  so  simple, 
and  he  does  it  so  easily,  that  you  will  probably  fancy 


274 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


TURNING  TO  THE  LEFT. 


OF  THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS 


275 


TURNING  TO  THE  RIGHT. 


276  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

that  you  know  all  about  it  after  the  first  outing.  That 
is  the  time  for  you  to  be  humble;  if  you  aren't  then 
you  soon  will  be. 

When  you  fully  realize  the  responsibilities  of  the 
driver  you  may  take  the  reins,  placing  and  retaining 
them  in  proper  position  and  at  the  right  length,  so  that 
you  can  pull  up  your  team  at  any  moment.  When 
your  arm  is  tired,  do  not  try  to  prove  your  endurance 
by  keeping  the  reins.  You  will  not  learn  nearly  so 
much  in  a  painfully  long  lesson  as  in  a  number  of  short 
ones.  The  following  lessons  should  be  devoted  to  learn- 
ing how  to  start,  stop  and  turn.  Several  weeks'  daily 
practice  will  be  required  to  do  this  properly.  The 
teacher  must,  under  no  circumstances,  allow  the  pupil 
to  attempt  more  until  he  can  perform  these  elementary 
movements  mechanically,  instantaneously  and  accur- 
ately. It  is  well  enough  to  begin  to  practice  with  an 
old  team  which  has  learned  to  obey  the  least  indication 
from  the  driver,  thereby  doing  his  hardest  work  for 
him;  but  a  man  is  not  a  coachman  until  he  can  manage, 
stop,  turn  and  hold  fresh  and  fiery  horses,notall  of  the 
same  temperament. 

When  you  have  mastered  starting,  turning  right  and 
left,  going  straight  on  level  ground  (only  level  ground 
is  allowable  during  the  first  lessons),  stopping  and,  of 
course,  retaining  the  reins  always  in  proper  position, 
then  descending  steep  hills  may  be  carefully  practiced, 
remembering  to  drive  slowly  over  the  tops  of  hills,  both 
large  and  small.  During  all  this  time  you  must  be  form- 
ing the  habit  of  never  mounting  the  box  without  having 
fully  satisfied  yourself  that  every  horse  is  harnessed 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  277 


STOPPING. 


278 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


THE  DIFFERENCE — WITH    ONE  OR  A  PAIR. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  279 

and  bitted  properly.  Then  mount  the  box  deliberately, 
take  your  seat,adjust  the  apron  and  the  reins,  taking 
care  to  have  the  leaders  so  in  hand  that  when  they  move 
they  will  be  out  of  the  collars  and  clear  of  the  splinter 
bars.  Be  sure  that  the  horses  stand  still  until  you  give 
the  word  to  start,  never  giving  the  word  until  you  are 
ready  The  sight  of  a  driver  hanging  on  to  his  reins 
while  trying  to  seat  himself  is  undignified,  not  to  say 
ludicrous.  Allowing  the  horses  to  start  before  the  word 
is  given  is  one  of  those  slovenly  habits  against  which 
all  drivers  must  guard  unless  they  wish  to  acquire  a 
bad  style.  Mounting  on  the  run  is  no  doubt  very  proper 
for  the  driver  of  a  stage  coach  making  time  across  the 
western  wilderness,  but  polite  society  taboos  such  ex- 
hibitions of  skill. 

All  this  probably  sounds  simple  enough,  but  only 
continual  and  diligent  practice  will  enable  the  pupil  to 
become  an  expert  whip.  How  the  wheelers  should  start 
and  turn  the  coach  without  the  leaders  feeling  their 
traces,  when  to  put  on  the  drags,  how  to  regulate  the 
pace,  how  to  drive  well  and  yet  find  time  for  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  coaching  party,  are  all  points  which  require 
care  and  long  practice  to  acquire. 

And  now  as  to  horsemanship.  Among  other  things 
we  have  to  thank  the  warriors  for  introducing  horse-  ' 
manship  into  Europe.  The  art  by  which  Alexander 
the  Great  was  enabled  to  win  his  great  battles  after 
the  conquest  of  Persia,  and  the  consequent  introduc- 
tion of  Persian  cavalry  into  his  army,  has  since  be- 
come one  of  the  most  delightful  pastimes  known  to 
Europe  and  America.  It  is  due  to  the  use  of  horseman- 


280 


ILLOSTKATED    HISTORY 


A  GOOD  WALKER. 


OF  THE  UiNION  STOCKYARDS 


281 


GOOD  HIND  QUARTERS. 


282  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

ship  in  battle  that  the  custom  of  mounting  and  dis- 
mounting on  the  left  side  was  established.  And  what 
has  always  been  a  necessity  to  the  warrior  with  his 
sword  has  since  become  a  point  of  equestrian  eti- 
quette. 

A  prescription  which  is  quite  as  common  with  fash- 
ionable physicians  as  change  of  air  is  horse  exercise.  It 
is  a  famous  remedy  for  liver  trouble,  derangement  of 
the  stomach,  and  affections  arising  from  exhaustive 
mental  and  sedentary  pursuits.  Many  of  the  latter 
class,  both  men  and  women,  have  never  been  on  the 
back  of  a  horse  in  their  lives,  and  know  about  as  much 
about  it  as  a  fish  knows  about  sailing  a  ship.  For  this 
class,  a  few  principles  are  laid  down  here,  which  will 
be  found  particularly  useful  to  beginners  who  are  un- 
able to  have  a  teacher. 

That  the  pupil  has  a  suitable  horse,  one  with  a  good, 
placid  temper,  who  does  not  shy,  bolt  or  stumbJe,  is 
presupposed.  Only  such  a  horse  is  suitable  for  a  be- 
ginner. A  course  of  mild  gymnastics  is  the  best  prepa- 
ration possible  for  the  would-be  equestrian ;  it  accus- 
toms him  to  action,  develops  physical  tenacity,  and 
relieves  him  of  timidity,  of  which  he  is  likely  to  have 
a  superfluity  at  first.  First  of  all,  let  the  pupil  never 
forget  that  his  first  lessons  must  be  short,  or  he  will 
grow  tired,  and,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  thus  miss  the 
real  delight  and  exhilaration  which  riding  always  gives 
to  the  true  horseman  and  horsewoman.  The  saddle 
must  be  placed  on  the  middle  of  the  horse's  back,  and 
the  rider  must  sit  in  the  middle  of  the  saddle,  or  both 
horse  and  rider  will  soon  grow  tired  and  sore — and  sore 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


288 


PREPARED  TO  MOUNT — FIRST  POSITION. 


284  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

means  such  soreness  as  he  has  never  experienced  be- 
fore, unless  he  has  fallen  from  a  fourth  story  window 
and  survived  the  shock.  He  must  sit  neither  on  his  fork 
nor  on  the  end  of  the  spine,  but  on  the  two  bones  of 
the  pelvis,  or  sitting  bones,  which  nature  gave  man  for 
his  proper  seat.  It  is,  of  course,  more  difficult  for  a 
short, fleshy  person  to  find  the  proper  seat  than  for  one 
more  perfectly  proportioned.  Indeed,  in  riding  the  ad- 
vantage of  being  an  Adonis  or  Venus  consists  of  some- 
thing more  than  the  mere  ability  to  attract  admiration, 
for  the  "form  divine"  seems  to  adapt  itself  far  more 
readily  to  the  saddle  than  the  one  which  is  too  broad 
or  too  slender.  A  rule  which  generally  determines  the 
straightness  of  the  rider's  seat  is  that  he  or  she  can,  if 
seated  in  the  middle  of  the  horse's  back,  see  straight  be- 
tween the  animal's  ears.  A  series  of  illustrations  are 
given  herewith,  which  show  better  than  words  can 
the  correct  positions  in  mounting,  for  both  a  lady  and 
a  gentleman.  The  illustrations  are  of  two  famous 
English  riders  who  were  noted  in  their  own  day  for 
model  horsemanship,  and  since  then  there  has  been  no 
change  in  horsemanship  on  the  points  which  their  fig- 
ures are  here  called  upon  to  illustrate. 

Having,  by  continuous  practice  and  close  attention  to 
details,  obtained  a  firm  seat  and  proper  balance,  the 
pupil  may  proceed  to  study  the  science  of  guiding  his 
horse.  A  correct  and  stylish  way  for  either  man  or 
woman  to  hold  double  reins  in  one  hand  is  shown  in 
the  illustration  on  page  292,  while  holding  double  reins 
in  both  hands  is  shown  in  the  succeeding  cut.  A  sin- 
gle rein,  with  a  very  fresh  or  pulling  horse,  may  prop- 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


285 


SECOND   POSITION. 


286 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


THIRD    POSITION. 


OF  THE   UNION  STOCKYARDS 


287 


SEATED. 


238 


KEADY    TO  MOUNT — FIRST  POSITION. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


289 


'NOWl" — SECOND  POSITION. 


290 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


UP    SAFE — THIRD  POSITION. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 


291 


CORRECT  POSITION  FOR  A  LADY. 


292 


ILLUSTKATED  HISTORY 


DOUBLE    KEINS  IN  BOTH    HANDS. 

erly  be  held  in  the  full  grasp  of  both  hands.  The  prin- 
cipal point  to  be  observed  in  holding  the  reins  is  to 
hold  them  smoothly  and  flatly.  Remember  also  to  han- 
dle the  reins  as  if  they  were  silken  threads  which  a  pull 
would  break;  under  no  circumstances  pull  them  (unless 
with  a  fractious  horse),  but  give  to  the  horse's  head 
as  though  the  arms  were  elastic.  A  heavy  handed  rider 
is  an  affliction  to  a  horse  against  which  he  may  be  par- 
doned for  "fighting,"  while  the  light  hand  yields  so 
readily  to  his  mouth  that  the  bit  never  hurts  him. 

The  pupil  should  be  able  to  take  and  maintain  a  cor- 
rect and  firm  seat — in  fact,  should  feel  that  he  is  one 
with  his  horse — before  he  attempts  a  gait  more  rapid 
than  a  walk.  This  done  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  critic, 
a  canter  may  be  attempted;  when  the  canter  is  mas- 
tered without  losing  the  seat,  correct  position,  good 


OF  THE    UNION  8TOCKYABD9  293 


DOUBLE  REINS  IN  ONE  HAND. 


294 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


AS  IT  SHOULD  BE  DONE. 


Of    THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 

management  of  the  reins,  and  self-possession,  the  pupil 
may  try  the  trot.  The  trot  is  one  of  the  most  difficult 
of  paces,  and  while  practice  of  trotting  develops  a  good 
seat,  it  should  be  remembered  that  to  trot  badly  is  as 
much  a  proof  of  a  poor  horseman  (or  horsewoman)  as  to 
trot  well  is  a  mark  of  a  good  one.  Galloping  and  then 
the  leap  follow  naturally  as  the  next  steps  in  acquiring 
the  art  of  riding.  In  this  day  of  "wild"  riding  it  is  as 
indispensable  for  a  rider  to  be  able  to  take  a  leap  coolly 
as  it  is  for  a  danseuse  to  pirouette  gracefully. 

Good  riding  is  an  accomplishment  of  which  any  man 
or  woman  might  be  proud,  nevertheless  there  are  re- 
markably few  perfect  riders  of  either  sex.  Equestrian- 
ism, however,  is  annually  increasing  in  popularity,  and 
now  it  is  as  much  a  part  of  a  child's  education  to  learn 
to  ride  as  it  is  to  learn  to  dance. 


VETERINARY  RECIPES. 

How  to  Cure  Corns — Corns  are  caused  by  bad  shoe- 
ing, or  from  allowing  the  shoe  to  wear  too  long  without 
reshoeing,  and  also  from  having  too  much  of  the  foot 
taken  off.      My  remedy,  by   which    I  have   never  yet 
failed  to  effect  a  permanent  cure,  is  as  follows: 

Send  for  your  blacksmith,  have  the  shoes  pulled  off, 
the  feet  pared  and  then  poulticed  until  they  are  as  soft 
as  jelly.  Call  the  blacksmith  again,  have  the  corns  cut 
down  to  the  quick,  extract  the  cores  of  the  corns  by 
means  of  a  pair  of  small  pinchers, and  then  apply  spir- 
its of  salts  to  eat  away  any  remnants  of  the  cores  which 
may  remain. 

By  this  time  the  foot  has  been  so  much  reduced  that 
time  must  be  allowed  for  a  new  growth  of  the  foot, 
which  may  be  satisfactorily  and  quickly  attained  by 
placing  the  foot  of  the  patient  in  blue  clay  for  three 
weeks,  or  more  if  necessary.  If  these  directions  are 
followed  a  new  foot  and  a  permanent  cure  will  be  the 
results;  and  although  it  takes  time  you  should  remem- 
ber that  anything  worth  having  is  worth  waiting  for. 
Rubber  pads,  and  bar  shoes  will  help  a  horse  tempora- 
rily only,  but  will  keep  him  going  in  a  cramped  way. 
But  if  you  are  impatient  you  can  take  your  choice  be- 
tween quickness  and  thoroughness. 

Quarter  Cracks— Quarter  crack  can  be  cured,  or 

296 


UNION  STOCKYARDS  297 

rather  grown  out,  if  properly  treated.  First  apply  a 
bar  shoe,  rasping  away  the  bearing  surface  of  the  de- 
tached portion  of  the  heel,  so  as  to  bring  no  pressure 
upon  it.  Then  secure  immobility  of  the  walls  of  the 
crack,  either  with  quarter-crack  clamps,  or,  in  their  ab- 
sence, by  driving  two  or  three  small  horseshoe  nails 
through  the  edge  of  the  crack  and  clinching  so  as  to 
hold  the  edges  firmly  together.  Apply  an  active  blister 
to  the  coronet  to  favor  a  more  rapid  growth  of  the  horn. 
Allow  the  horse  to  rest  with  only  walking  exercise,  un- 
til an  unbroken  hoof  has  grown  down  from  the  hair  a 
distance  of  at  least  one-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch. 
This  will  require  four  to  five  weeks.  When  the  hoof 
has  grown  down  as  directed,  a  V-shaped  notch  is  to  be 
cut  to  the  quick  at  the  upper  end  of  the  crack  to  pre- 
vent the  crack  extending  upward.  The  horse  may  now 
be  used  carefully  at  a  moderate  speed  if  desirable. 
Continue  the  use  of  the  bar  shoe,  with  the  pressure  re- 
moved from  that  heel  until  the  crack  has  grown  off. 

Tonic  Ball — Ginger,  2  drachms;  gentian,  1  drachm; 
Peruvian  bark,  %  ounce;  fenugreek,  ^  ounce,  Mix, 
and  form  a  ball. 

Diuretics — Take  of  balsam  copaiba,  2  ounces;  sweet 
spirits  of  niter,  3  ounce;  spirits  of  turpentine,  2  ounces; 
oil  of  juniper,  2  ounces;  tincture  of  camphor,  2  ounces. 
Mix;  shake  the  bottle  before  pouring  the  medicine.  Dose 
for  adult  horse:  Two  tablespoonsful  in  a  pint  of  milk, 
repeated  every  four  to  six  hours,  if  necessary.  This  is 
a  reliable  preparation  for  kidney  difficulties. 

Cough  Mixtures— Take  of  alcohol  \  pint;  balsam 


298  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

of  fir,  2  ounces.  Mix  well,  and  add  all  the  tar  it  will 
cut.  Shake  well  before  using.  Dose,  from  one  to  two 
teaspoonsful  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

Nasal  Gleet — No.  1. — Copperas,2  ounces;  pulverized 
gentian,  3  ounces;  elecampane,  1  ounce;  linseed  meal, 
3  ounces.  Mix,  and  give  from  half  to  one  tablespoon- 
ful  twice  a  day.  No.  2. — Aloes,  6  ounces;  pulverized 
nux  vomica,  3 drachms;  flaxseed  meal,  4  ounces.  Make 
into  eight  powders,  and  give  one  or  two  each  day. 

Cracked  Heels — Tar,  8  ounces;  beeswax,  1  ounce; 
rosin,  1  ounce;  alum  1  ounce;  tallow,  1  ounce;  sulphate 
of  iron,  1  ounce;  carbolic  acid.l  drachm.  Mix,  and  boil 
over  a  slow  fire.  Skim  off  the  filth,  and  add  2  ounces 
of  the  scrapings  of  sweet  elder. 

Thrush — No.  1. — Wash  the  feet  well,  with  castile 
soap  and  water,  and  sprinkle  a  small  quantity  of  pul- 
verized blue  vitriol  in  the  cleft;  then  fill  up  all  the  cav- 
ities with  cotton,  press  it  in  so  as  to  keep  out  all  dirt, 
and  repeat  as  often  as  necessary  until  the  cure  is  com- 
plete. No.  2.  — Blue  vitriol  and  copperas,  of  each  1  ounce ; 
burnt  alum,  2  ounces;  white  vitriol,  ^  ounce.  Mix. 

Cordial  Balls — No.  1. — Anise,powdered,  £  ounce;  gin- 
ger, 1  drachm ;gentian,  1  drachm;  fenugreek,  2 drachma. 
Mix.  No.  2. — Caraway  and  ginger,  each,  2  drachms; 
anise,  gentian  and  fenugreek,  each,  1  ounce.  Mix.  No. 
3. — Camphor,  1  drachm;  anise,  3  drachms;  flaxseed 
meal,  1  ounce;  powdered  extract  of  liquorice, 3  drachms; 
tincture  of  opium,  1  ounce.  Mix. 

Astringent  and  Cordial— No.  1. — Opium,  12 grains; 
camphor,  £  drachm;  catechu,  1  drachm.  Mix.  No.  2.— 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  299 

Opium,  10  grains;  camphor,  1  drachm;  ginger,  2 
drachms;  castile  soap,  2  drachms;  anise,  8  drachms; 
liquorice,  2  drachms.  Mix. 

Alterative  and  Laxative  Balls — No  1. — Linseed 
meal,  1  ounce;  aloes,  £  ounce;  castile  soap,  £  ounce. 
Mix.  No,  2. — Ginger,  1  drachm;  castile  soap,  2 
drachms;  Barbadoes  aloes,  pulverized,  6  drachms;  flax- 
seed  meal,  1  ounce.  Mix. 

Anodyne  Drenches — No.  1. — Tincture  of  opium,  1 
ounce;  starch  gruel,  1  quart  Mix.  No.  2.— Sweet 
spirits  of  niter,  1  ounce;  tincture  of  opium,  1  ounce; 
essence  of  peppermint,  £  ounce;  water,  1  pint.  Mix. 
No  8  — Tincture  of  opium,  1  ounce;  spirits  of  cam- 
phor, £  ounce;  anise,  £  ounce;  sulphuric  ether,  1 
ounce;  water,  1  pint.  Mix. 

Diabetes— Sugar  of  lead,  lOgrains;  alum,  30  grains; 
catechu,  1  drachm;  tincture  of  opium,  Bounce;  water, 

1  pint.     Mix. 

Farcy  and  Glanders — No.  1. — Iodide  of  potassium, 
1£  drachms;  copperas,  £  drachm;  ginger,  1  drachm; 
gentian,  2  drachms;  powdered  gum  arabic  and  syrup  to 
form  a  ball.  No.  2. — Calomel,  £  drachm;  turpentine, 
|  ounce;  blue  vitriol,  1  drachm;  gum  arabic  and  syrup 
to  form  a  ball.  No.  8. — One-half  ounce  sulphite  of  soda, 
5  grains  Spanish  flies,  powdered.  Mix,  and  give  at  night 
in  cut  feed  for  several  weeks;  give  at  the  same  time, 
every  morning  and  noon,  8  drachms  powdered  gentian, 

2  drachms  powdered  blue  vitriol;  give  the  medicines  for 
a  long  time;  feed  well.  This  is  the  best  treatment  that 
can  be  given  for  this  disease. 


300  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Fever  Balls — No.  1. — Saltpetre,  2£ drachms;  tartar 
emetic,  |  drachm;  flaxseed  meal,  1  ounce;  camphor, 
£  drachm;  ginger,  2  drachms.  Mix,  and  form  into  a 
ball.  Repeat  three  or  fonr  times  a  day  if  necessary. 
No.  2. — Tincture  aconite,  ten  drops;  tartar  emetic,  ^ 
drachm;  saltpetre,  1  drachm;  ginger,  2  drachms;  lin- 
seed meal,  1  ounce.  Mix,  and  form  into  a  ball.  Re- 
peat three  or  four  times  a  day  if  necessary. 

Diuretic  and  Tonic  Balls — Copperas,  1|  drachms; 
ginger,  1  drachm;  gentian,  1  drachm;  saltpetre,  3 
drachms;  rosin,  ^  ounce;  flaxseed  meal,  1  ounce.  Mix, 
and  form  into  a  ball. 

Diuretic  Balls — No.  1. — Saltpetre,  3 drachms;  rosin, 
4  drachms;  castile  soap,  2  drachms;  fenugreek,  3 
drachms;  flaxseed  meal,  1  ounce.  Mix,  andiform  into 
a  ball.  No.  2. — Oil  of  juniper,  \  drachm;  rosin  and 
saltpetre,  each,  2  drachms;  camphor,  ^drachm;  cas- 
tile soap,  1  ounce;  flaxseed  meal,  1  ounce.  Mix,  and 
form  into  a  ball. 

Saddle  and  Harness  Galls,  Bruises,  etc  — No.  1. — 

Tincture  of  opium,  2  ounces;  tannin,  2  drachms.  Mix, 
and  apply  twice  a  day.  No.  2. — Take  white  lead  and 
linseed  oil,  and  mix  as  for  paint,  and  apply  two  or 
three  times  a  day.  This  is  good  for  scratches,  or  any 
wounds  on  a  horse. 

Founder — No.  1. — Vinegar,  3  pints;  cayenne  pep- 
per, £  drachm;  tincture  of  aconite  root,  15  drops.  Mix, 
and  boil  down  to  one  quart;  when  cool,  give  it 
as  a  drench.  Blanket  the  horse  well;  after  the  horse 
has  perspired  for  an  hour  or  more,  give  one  quart 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  301 

of  raw  linseed  oil.  This  treatment  will  be  found 
good  for  horses  foundered  by  eating  too  much  grain. 
No.  2. — Some  recommend  for  horses  foundered  on 
grain,  to  bleed  about  one  gallon,  then  to  drench  the 
horse  with  one  quart  of  raw  linseed  oil;  after  this  to 
rub  the  forelegs  well,  and  for  a  long  time,  with  very 
warm  water,  having  a  little  tincture  of  opium  mixed 
with  it.  As  the  horse  will  not  recover  from  loss  of  blood 
for  a  long  time,  it  is  usually  better  to  adopt  the  treat- 
ment given  in  No.  1. 

For  Flesh  Wounds — To  prevent  inflammation  or 
tendency  to  sloughing  or  mortification,  take  1  pound 
saltpetre,  2  gallons  water, 3  pints  proof  spirits.  Mix,  and 
inject  into  the  wound  with  a  syringe  three  times  a  day 
until  it  heals.  In  treating  deep  wounds  or  those  of  a 
dangerous  character,  especially  if  the  animal  is  inclined 
to  be  fat,  give  a  dose  of  physic,  feed  bran,  carrots,  etc. 
No  grain  should  be  fed,  and  grass  is  more  desirable 
than  hay.  If  grass  is  fed  freely,  physic  is  not  necessary. 

For  Removing  Enlargements,  etc.— Oil  spike,  1 
ounce;  camphor,  1  ounce;  oil  origanum,  2  ounces;  oil 
amber,  1  ounce;  spirits  turpentine,  2  ounces.  Rub  on 
the  mixture  thoroughly,  two  or  three  times  a  week. 

For  Bruises,  Cuts,  etc.,  on  Horse  or  Man— Tinct- 
ure arnica,  1  ounce;  sassafras  oil,  Bounce;  laudanum, 
1  ounce.  Mix.  Shake  well  before  using.  Bandage 
lightly,  and  keep  wet  with  the  mixture. 

Quarter  Crack — The  best  way  to  cure  quarter  crack 
is  to  open  the  heel  on  that  side  between  bar  and  frog, 


802  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

cutting  down  pretty  well  (not  sufficient  to  cause 
bleeding),  until  the  quarter  will  give  freely;  then  put 
on  a  shoe  that  will  expand  the  heel.  It  is  also  neces- 
sary in  this  case  that  the  inner  heel  should  be  opened 
or  spread,  as  the  hoof  is  simply  too  small  for  the  foot; 
if  this  is  properly  done,  the  point  is  directly  reached. 
Some  recommend,  in  addition  to  this,  burning,  with 
a  hot  iron,  a  crease  across  at  the  upper  edge  of  hoof. 
If  this  is  done  properly,  the  hoof  will  not  split  any 
more.  The  hoof  may  now  be  more  rapidly  grown  if 
desired.  Opening  the  foot  and  the  shoe  is  the  point  of 
success. 

Quittor — Corrosive  sublimate,  |  ounce;  muriatic  acid, 
20  drops;  soft  water,  2  ounces.  Mix  the  last  two  and 
shake  well,  then  add  the  first.  Inject  a  little  with  a 
glass  syringe  once  or  twice,  being  careful  to  inject  to 
the  bottom.  Warm  poultices,  used  for  several  days, 
generally  work  well. 

To  Grow  Hair — Mix  sweet  oil,  1  pint;  sulphur,  3 
ounces.  Shake  well,  and  ri^b  into  the  dock  twice  a 
week. 

For  Worms — Calomel,  1  drachm;  tartar  emetic,  £ 
drachm;  linseed  meal,  1  ounce;  fenugreek,  1  ounce. 
Mix,  and  give  in  feed  at  night;  repeat  the  dose  two  or 
three  times,  and  follow  with  one  and  a  half  pints  of 
raw  linseed  oil,  about  six  hours  after  the  last  powder 
has  been  given. 

For  Distemper — Hops,  2  ounces;  carbolic  acid,  30 
drops;  boiling  water,  2  gallons.  Mix  the  hops  and  car- 
bolic acid  with  the  boiling  water,  and  compel  the  ani- 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  803 

ma]  to  inhale  the  steam  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes 
at  a  time;  repeat  three  times  a  day.  Apply  a  strong 
mustard  paste  to  the  throat,  and  place  a  warm  poultice 
over  the  paste.  Feed  warm  mashes  and  boiled  vegeta- 
bles; keep  the  stable  comfortably  warm  and  the  air 
pure.  Give  the  following  powders  once  a  day :  Powdered 
Peruvian  bark,  2  ounces;  powdered  gentian,  1  ounce; 
powdered  copperas,  1  ounce.  Mix,  and  divide  into 
eight  powders. 

For  Ringworm — Apply  mercurial  ointment  three  or 
four  times  a  week. 

For  Brittle  and  Contracted  Hoofs — Take  of  castor 
oil,Barbadoes  tar  and  soft  soap, equal  parts  of  each ;  melt 
all  together  and  stir  while  cooling,  and  apply  a  little 
to  the  hoof  three  or  four  times  a  week. 

Horse  Liniments — No.  1. — Oil  spike,  oil  origanum, 
oil  hemlock,  oil  wormwood,  aqua  ammonia,  camphor 
gum,  of  each  2  ounces;  olive  oil,  4  ounces;  alcohol,  1 
quart.  Mix.  This  is  an  excellent  liniire:it  for  man  or 
beast.  No. 2  . — Oil  origanum,  oil  amber,  sweet  oil,  of 
each  1  ounce;  oil  spike,  aqua  ammonia  and  oil  of  tur- 
pentine, of  each  2  ounces.  Mix.  No.  3. — Linseed  oil, 
8  ounces;  turpentine,  8  ounces;  oil  origanum,  4 ounces. 
Mix  well.  This  is  excellent  for  sprains  and  bruises, 
and  is  good  as  a  general  liniment.  No.  4. — Oil  spike,  1 
ounce;  oil  origanum,  2  ounces;  alcohol,  16  ounces. 
Good  for  lameness  resulting  from  almost  any  cause. 
No.  5. — Take  equal  parts  of  alcohol,  chloroform,  aqua 
ammonia,  Jamaica  rum  and  water,  and  mix. 


304  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

For  Scratches  and  Grease  Heel— No,  1.— Balsam 
fir,  4  ounces;  lard,  4  ounces.  Stir,  with  a  gentle  heat, 
until  thoroughly  mixed.  Wash  the  sores  well  with  cas- 
tile  soap,  and  apply.  No.  2. — Sugar  of  lead,  2  ounces; 
borax,  1  ounce;  sweet  oil,  6  ounces.  Mix,  and  apply 
twice  daily,  after  washing  with  castile  soap,  and  dry- 
ing. No.  3. — Tincture  of  myrrh,  2  ounces;  glycerine, 
4  ounces;  tincture  of  arnica,  2  ounces.  Mix  thor- 
oughly, and  apply  two  or  three  times  a  day,  after 
cleansing,  as  above,  with  castile  soap.  No.  4. — Take  •£ 
ounce  of  powdered  verdigris  and  1  pint  of  rum  or  proof 
spirits.  Mix,  and  apply  once  or  twice  a  day.  This 
works  nicely  for  grease  heel  or  mud  fever.  No.  5. — 
Take  of  oxide  of  zinc,  1  drachm;  lard,  1  ounce;  pow- 
dered gum  benzoin,  10  grains;  camphorated  spirits,  1 
drachm.  Mix  thoroughly,  and  rub  on  twice  a  week. 
Do  not  wash  after  the  first  application. 

Cuts,  Wounds  and  Sores— No.  1.— Take  of  lard,  4 
ounces;  beeswax,  4  ounces;  rosin,  2  ounces;  carbolic 
acid,  ^  ounce.  Mix  the  first  three,  and  melt,  then  add 
the  carbolic  acid,  stirring  until  cool.  This  is  excellent 
for  man  as  well  as  beast.  No.  2. — Tincture  aloes,  1 
ounce;  tincture  myrrh,  Bounce;  tincture  opium,  Bounce; 
water,  4  ounces.  Mix  and  apply  night  and  morning. 
No.  8. — Tincture  opium,  2  ounces;  tannin,  ^  ounce. 
Mix.  No.  4. — Carbolic  acid,  1  ounce;  soft  water,  1  quart. 
Mix. 

Sweeney — No.  1. — Spanish  flies,  camphor  gum  and 
cayenne,  of  each  1  ounce;  alcohol,  10  ounces;  spirits 
turpentine,  6  ounces;  oil  origanum,  2 ounces.  Mix.  No. 


OF   THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS  305 

2. — Alcohol,  16  ounces;  spirits  turpentine,  10  ounces; 
muriate  of  ammonia,  .1  ounce.  Mix.  No.  8. — Alcohol, 
water,  spirits  turpentine  and  soft  soap,  1  pint  of  each ; 
salt,  6  ounces.  Mix 

Poll  Evil  and  Fistula — No.  1. — Copperas,  1  drachm; 
blue  vitriol,  2drachms;  common  salt,  2 drachms;  white 
vitriol,  1  drachm.  Mix,  and  powder  fine.  Fill  a  goose 
quill  with  the  powder,  and  push  it  to  the  bottom  of  the 
pipe,  having  a  stick  in  the  top  of  the  quill,  so  that  you 
can  push  the  powder  out  of  the  quilJ,  leaving  it  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pipe;  repeat  again  in  about  four  days, 
and  two  or  three  days  from  that  time  you  can  take  hold 
of  the  pipe  and  remove  it  without,  trouble.  No.  2. — 
Tincture  of  opium,  1  drachm;  potash,  2  drachms; 
water,  1  ounce.  Mix,  and,  when  dissolved,  inject  into 
the  pipes  with  a  small  syringe,  having  cleansed  the  sore 
with  soap  suds;  repeat  every  two  days  until  the  pipes 
are  completely  destroyed.  No.  8. — Take  a  small  piece  of 
lunar  caustic;  place  in  the  pipe,  after  being  cleansed 
with  soap-suds;  then  fill  the  hole  with  sweet  oil. 

Bots — Take  new  milk,  2 quarts;  syrup,  1  quart.  Mix, 
and  give  the  whole,  and,  in  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes 
after,  give  two  quarts  of  warm  strong  sage  tea;  half  an 
hour  after  the  tea,  give  one  quart  of  raw  linseed  oil, 
or,  if  the  oil  cannot  be  had,  give  lard  instead. 

Ointment  for  Horses — Beeswax,  2  ounces;  rosin,  8 
ounces;  lard,  4  ounces;  carbolic  acid,  1  drachm;  hon- 
ey, •£  ounce;  melt  all  together  and  bring  slowly  to  a 
boil;  then  remove  from  the  fire,  and  add,  slowly,  1  gill 


806  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

of  spirits  of  turpentine,  stirring  all  the  time  until  cool. 
Used,  with  good  success,  for  galls,  cracked  heels,  flesh 
wounds  or  bruises, 

Condition  Powders — No.  1. — Gentian,  fenugreek, 
sulphur,  saltpetre,  cream  of  tartar,  of  each  2  ounces; 
rosin,  black  antimony,  of  each  1  ounce;  ginger,  liquor- 
ice, Bounces  each;  cayenne,  1  ounce;  pulverized  and 
mixed  thoroughly.  Dose,  1  tablespoonful,  once  or  twice 
a  day,  mixed  with  the  food.  Used,  with  good  success, 
for  coughs,  colds,  distemper,  hide-bound,  and  nearly 
all  diseases  for  which  condition  powders  are  given. 
No.  2. — Fenugreek,  4  ounces;  ginger,  6  ounces;  anise, 
pulverized,  4  ounces;  gentian,  2  ounces;  black  anti- 
mony, 2  ounces;  hard  wood  ashes,  4  ounces.  Mix  all 
together.  Excellent  to  give  a  horse  an  appetite. 

Water  Farcy — No.  1. — Saltpetre,  2  ounces;  cop- 
peras, 2  ounces;  ginger,  1  ounce;  fenugreek,  2  ounces; 
anise, £  ounce;  gentian,  1  ounce.  Mix,  and  divide  into 
eight  powders;  give  two  or  threa  each  day.  No.  2. — 
Gentian,  1  ounce;  ginger,  £  ounce;  anise,  1  ounce;  ele- 
campane, 2  ounces;  blue  vitriol,  1  ounce;  flaxaeed 
meal,  2  ounces;  saltpetre,  2  ounces  Mix,  and  divide 
into  eight  powders.  Moderate  daily  exercise  and  rub- 
bing the  limbs  are  useful. 

Healing  Preparations — No  1. — Carbolic  acid,  1 
ounce;  soft  water,  2  pints.  Mix.  No.  2. — White  vit- 
riol, 1  ounce;  soft  water,  2  pints.  Mix.  No.  3. — Pul- 
verized camphor,  1  drachm;  prepared  chalk,  6  drachms; 
burnt  alum,  4  drachms.  Mix.  Sprinkle  over  the  sore. 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  807 

No.  4. — Tincture  of  opium,  1  ounce;  tannin,  1  drachm. 
Mix,  and  shake  well  before  using.  Excellent  for  galls 
of  collar,  saddle,  or  in  fact  for  any  purpose  requiring 
a  healing  astringent. 

For  Galled  Back  or  Shoulders — Tincture  of  arnica, 
1  ounce;  vinegar,  Bounces;  brandy,  4  ounces;  sal  am- 
moniac, 2  ounces;  soft  water,  1  pint.  Mix,  and  bathe 
with  it  often. 

For  Unhealthy  Ulcers — Nitric  acid,  1  ounce;  blue 
vitriol,  3  ounces;  soft  water,  15  ounces.  Mix. 

For  Fresh  Wounds — Copperas,  2  drachms;  white 
vitriol,  3  drachms;  gunpowder, 2 draoh ins;  boiling  soft 
water,  2  quarts.  Mix.  When  cool  it  is  ready  for  use. 

Healing  Mixture — Cosmoline,  5  ounces;  carbolic 
acid,  1  drachm.  Mix.  This  is  one  of  the  very  best  of 
mixtures  for  any  sore,  especially  for  such  cases  as  are 
inclined  not  to  heal  readily. 

To  Cure  Mange — Oil  tar,  1  ounce;  lac  sulphur,  1£ 
ounces;  whale  oil,  2  ounces.  Mix.  Rub  a  little  on 
the  skin  wherever  the  disease  appears,  and  continue, 
daily,  for  a  week,  and  then  wash  off  with  castile  soap 
and  warm  water. 

Healing  Mixture  for  Cuts — Balsam  copaiba,  2 
ounces;  tincture  of  myrrh,  3  ounces.  Mix.  This  is  a 
good  healing  mixture. 

Sore  Lips — The  lips  become  sore  frequently  at  the 
angles  of  the  mouth,  from  bruising  with  the  bit.  They 
can  be  cured  by  applying  the  following  mixture:  Tinc- 
ture of  myrrh,  2  ounces  ;  tincture  of  aloes,  1  ounce; 


308  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

tincture  of  opium,  i  ounce      Mix,  and   apply  three  or 
four  times  a  day. 

For  Sore  Mouth  and  Lips — Borax,!  ounce;  tannin, 
£  ounoB ;  glycerine,  H  ounces  Mix,  and  apply  two  or  three 
times  a  day,  ,  ith  a  swab 

For  Sprains,  etc  — Hog's  lard  and  spirits  of  turpen- 
tine. Mix  and  place  in  the  hot  sunshine  for  four  or  five 
days.  Apply  four  or  five  times  a  week. 

Eye  Water — White  vitriol  and  saltpetre,  of  each  1 
scruple;  pure  soft  water,  8  ounces  Mix.  This  should 
be  applied  to  the  inflamed  lids  three  or  four  times  a 
day,  and  if  the  inflammation  does  not  lessen  in  one  or 
two  days,  it  may  be  injected  directly  into  the  eye.  It 
does  nicely,  many  times,  to  just  close  the  eye  and 
bathe  the  outside  freely. 

For  Colic — Take  of  gum  myrrh,  1  ounce;  gum  cam- 
phor, 1  cunce;  powdered  gum  guaiac,  1  ounce;  cay- 
enne, 1  ounce;  powdered  sassafras  bark,  1  ounce;  spir- 
its turpentine,  1  ounce;  oil  origanum,  |  ounce;  oil 
hemlock,  £  ounce;  pulverized  opium,  \  ounce;  strong- 
est alcohol,  2  quarts.  Mix  all  together,  shake  often  for 
eight  or  ten  days,  and  filter  or  strain  through  flannel. 
Dose,  from  one  to  three  tablespoonsful,  according  to 
the  severity  of  the  case;  give  in  a  pint  of  milk 

Lice — A  good  old  remedy  for  lice  on  horses  or  cattle 
is  to  boil  a  pint  of  lard,  or  any  kind  of  grease,  with  a 
quart  of  water,  and  when  partly  cooled  add  a  pint  of 
kerosene.  This  will  do  it  every  time. 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  SOD 

For  Heaves — No  1. — One  teaspoonful  of  lobelia, 
given  in  the  feed,  once  a  day  fora  week,  and  then  once 
or  twice  a  week,  will  stop  them  for  a  time.  No.  2  — 
Balsam  copaiba,  1  ounce;  spirits  of  turpentine,  2 
ounces;  balsam  fir,  1  ounce;  cider  vinegar,  16  ounces. 
Mix,  and  give  a  tablespooiiful  once  a  day.  No.  3. — 
Saltpetre,  1  ounce;  indigo,  %  ounce;  rain  water,  four 
pints  Mix,  and  give  a  pint  twice  a  day.  No.  4. — 
Liquorice,  elecampane,  wild  turnip,  fenugreek  skunk- 
cabbage,  lobelia,  cayenne  and  ginger,  equal  parts  of 
each.  Mix,  and  give  a  tablespoonful  once  or  twice  a 
day;  if  the  horse  refuses  to  eat  it  in  feed,  make  it  into 
a  ball  and  give. 

Contracted  Hoof  or  Sore  Feet — No.  1. — Take  equal 
parts  of  soft,  fat,  yellow  wax,  linseed  oil,  Venice  tur- 
pentine and  Norway  tar;  first  melt  the  wax,  then  add 
the  others,  mixing  thoroughly.  Apply  to  the  edge  of  the 
hair  once  a  day.  No.  2. — Benzine,  1  ounce;  salts  of  niter, 
1  ounce;  alcohol,  Bounces;  aqua  ammonia,  2  ounces; 
Venice  turpentine,  8  ounces.  Mix.  Apply  to  the  edge 
of  the  hair  and  all  over  the  hoof  once  a  day  for  ten 
days,  then  twice  a  week  for  a  short  time.  No.  8. — Rosin, 
4  ounces;  lard,  8  ounces;  heat  them  over  a  slow  fire, 
then  take  off  and  add  powdered  verdigris,  1  ounce,  and 
stir  well  to  prevent  its  running  over;  when  partly  cool 
add  2  ounces  spirits  of  turpentine.  Apply  to  the  hoof 
about  one  inch  down  from  the  hair. 


UMY  FIRST  DOWN." 

THE  MAN  OF  UPS  AND  DOWNS. 

"Have  you  thought,  in  your  moments  of  triumph, 

(),  you  that  are  high  in  the  tree, 
Of  the  days  and  the  nights  that  are  bitter — 

So  bitter  to  others  and  me? 
When  the  efforts  to  do  what  is  clever 

Result  in  a  failure  so  sad, 
And  the  clouds  of  despondency  gather 

And  dim  all  the  hopes  that  we  had?" 

1  MADE  my  debut  on  the  stage  of  life  at  Stratford- 
on-Avon.  For  the  edification  of  those  little  children 
who  are  told  they  came  from  heaven,  I  suppose  I  ought 
to  call  this  rny  first  down. 

310 


THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  311 

My  mother  died  when  I  was  two  years  old,  and  my 
old  nurse,  Eliza,  became  my  foster  mother,  taking  my 
mother's  place  as  well  as  she  could.  Some  men's 
mothers  do  die  when  they  are  young,  and  I  have  always 
wanted  to  shake  hands  in  sympathy  with  them,  indi- 
vidually, for  nothing  that  ever  happens  to  them  after- 
ward will  be  as  bad  as  that.  Not  that  I  mean  to  decry 
Eliza,  she  couldn't  do  any  better  than  she  did,  seeing 
that  she  was  not  my  mother. 

I  remember  I  used  to  cry  for  the  moon  nights,  about 
the  time  my  mother  died,  and  at  last  to  quiet  me  Eliza 
carried  me  up  into  the  turret  of  the  house  to  look  at  it. 
The  turret  was  reached  by  a  ladder,  and  when  nurse 
started  to  go  down  she  slipped,  and  I  went  to  the  bot- 
tom goflop.  I've  been  there  a  good  many  times  since. 
It  is  usually  the  way,  I  notice,  when  a  man  wants  the 
sun  or  moon  or  hitches  his  wagon  to  a  star,  he  loses  his 
hold  on  things,  and  down  he  goes;  while  some  other 
fellow,  who  only  wants  the  earth  to  be  happy,  gets  it — 
or  all  he  can  take. 

After  awhile  I  was  sent  to  school.  Most  that  I  learned 
at  school  was  that  it  was  right  to  do  the  things  I  didn't 
like  and  wrong  to  do  those  I  liked,  and  if  I  didn't  look 
at  it  that  way  the  fellow  with  the  ferule  did,  and  so 
I  might  as  well  too — as  long  as  he  held  the  ferule. 

The  diet  in  that  school  was  as  strange  and  wonder- 
ful as  the  discipline.  Individual  taste  and  appetite 
were  not  considered.  It  was  a  case  of  "so  much  served, 
so  much  eaten.1'  Every  boy's  portion  was  alike,  and 
every  boy  was  enjoined,  on  pain  of  a  flogging,  to  leave 
no  morsel  uneaten.  Cabbage  was  a  favorite  vegetable 


812  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

there.  We  had  it  fried  for  breakfast,  boiled  for  dinner 
and  chopped  for  supper.  I  have  never  been  greedy, 
and  as  I  ate  my  share  of  the  cabbage  produce  of  the 
world  while  there,  I  haven't  eaien  any  since. 

Many  things  happened  at  school  which  should  have 
prepared  me  for  what  to  expect  from  mankind  in  gen- 
eral. They  didn't,  however.  This  is  one  of  them: 
One  of  my  school  companions,  Charlie  Marsh,  used 
to  play  a  trick  on  me  and  on  the  other  fellows  smaller 
than  himself.  I  suppose  he  chose  the  little  ones  be- 
cause they  couldn't  lick  him  afterward.  The  boys 
were  not  allowed  to  leave  the  school  grounds  without 
permission,  but  nearly  every  Saturday,  Marsh,  mak- 
ing a  great  show  of  secrecy,  would  tell  about  half  a 
dozen  little  fellows  that  he  was  going  on  a  foraging 
expedition  to  a  distant  orchard,  and  ask  our  coopera- 
tion. Of  course  we  cooperated  every  time.  Marsh, 
m  iking  a  great  display  of  solicitude  for  our  littleness, 
helped  us  over  the  wall,  and  then  we  all  started  at 
full  speed  across  the  fields,  Marsh  leading.  There 
was  a  bog  to  be  crossed,  he  never  allowing  us  time  to  go 
around  it,  and  just  about  the  time  we  were  in  the  mid- 
dle of  it  we  would  hear  the  voice  of  the  master  calling 
on  us  to  come  back,  and  Marsh  calling  on  us  to  come 
on.  We  understood  how  volunteers  feel,  with  disgrace 
behind  and  death  in  front,  and  went  on,  the  bog  getting 
deeper  and  deeper  until  we  went  down  to  our  arms.  And 
there  we  staid  till  the  master  reached  us  and  pulled  us 
out,  giving  each  boy  a  whaling  as  he  came  up  from  the 
mud.  That  was  an  "up"  which  left  a  painful  impres- 
sion upon  me.  Marsh,  meanwhile,  being  longer  of  leg, 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


313 


had  reached  the  other  side  and  made  for  the  school, 
out  of  the  master's  sight  in  the  tall  reeds.  Not  being 
there,  he  didn't  get  whaled. 

It  never  occurred  to  us  then  that  Marsh  only  wanted 
to  see  us  licked.  We  hndn't  leaned  in  those  days  that 
some  people  would  get  under  the  wheels  themselves  just 
to  see  someone  else  ground  up;  and  I  have  noticed  since 
then  that  men  as  well  as  boys  will  try  the  same  beg  a 
good  many  times  if  there  is  a  prom- 
ise of  apples  on  the  other  side. 

My  next  step  in  life  was  a  step- 
mother. My  father  had  gone  to 
Canada  then,  and  my  stepmother 
came  to  take  me  to  him,  so  my 
next  experience  was  of  a  ship  I  had 
learned  a  good  deal  by  that  time 
— a  boy  can  learn  quite  a  little  at 
school  if  he  tries  real  hard — and  so 
I  rather  liked  leaving  school  and 
going  to  Canada,  especially  as  we 
had  to  cross  the  ocean  to  get  there. 

Nothing  happened  on  the  sea.  I  had  always  planned 
that  when  I  went  to  sea  I  would  be  cast  away  upon  a 
desert  island,  with  a  lot  of  hair-breadth  things  in  be- 
tween, but  my  stepmother  being  with  me  I  decided  to 
postpone  that.  A  fellow  can't  do  much  of  that  sort  with 
women  around,  especially  stepmothers;  they  don't  take 
to  it.  On  the  same  steamer  with  us  was  a  French  boy 
with  a  mother.  He  always  nagged  me,  and  it  made  me 
mad.  I  wanted  to  squash  him  at  once,  but  I  considered 
my  stepmother.  At  last,  however,  I  couldn't  stand  him 


READY  FOR  CANADA. 


314  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

any  longer,  and  one  day  I  pitched  into  him  before  a 
whole  deckful  of  people.  The  fine  ladies  screarned, 
"Part,  them,  part  theml  They'll  hurt  each  other!" 
But  the  men  said,  "Go  it,  England!''  "Athim,  France!" 
according  to  which  side  they  were  on,  while  Frenchy's 
mother  stood  by,  ruffling  herself  like  a  fat  hen  when 
you  are  after  her  chickens.  But  her  boy  was  the  bigger, 
so  she  controlled  her  emotions.  I  licked  him,  mopped 
the  deck  with  him,  and  then  set  my  foot  on  him  like 
the  show  fencer  does  when  he  has  broken  the  other 
fellow's  foil.  That  was  one  of  the  times  when  I  was 
up. 

Then  Frenchy's  mother  showed  her  blood ;  she  treated 
me  as  her  country  treated  Napoleon  when  he  came 
back  from  Egypt.  She  took  me  to  her  cabin  and  filled 
me  up  with  jam,  figs,  cakes  and  all  the  other  good 
things  they  raise  in  France.  "You  coward  cur!"  she 
cried  to  her  son,  when  he  came  sneaking  in.  "You  let 
zat  leettle  Anglais  boy  wheep  you!  You  disgrace  your 
countree.  A  good  Anglais  man  is  better  zan  a  bad 
Frenchman.  I  geef  him  zee  zham."  It's  a  truth  I 
have  proved  since  then  that  the  fellow  who  gets  the 
licking  never  gets  the  jam,  though  it  has  always  seemed 
to  me  that  he  ought  to  have  it  for  consolation. 

When  we  reached  Canada  I  was  sent  to  school  again. 
School  there  was  different  from  school  in  England.  I 
lived  at  home,  the  school  being  just  a  public  one.  When 
I  had  been  there  awhile  I  found  that  the  difference  be- 
tween public  and  private  schools  is  that  at  the  private 
school  you  pay  a  good  deal  and  get  very  little,  and  in 
the  public  school  you  pay  very  little  and  get  a  good 


OP  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  315 

deal.  I  have  observed  since  then  that  that  is  the  differ- 
ence between  most  public  and  private  institutions. 

Going  to  this  school  gave  me  a  good  deal  of  super- 
fluous confidence  in  mankind;  nothing  does  that  so 
quickly  as  an  appearance  of  disinterestedness.  I  had 
yet  to  learn  that  disinterestedness  is  usually  a  snake  in 
a  dove's  nest.  Not  that  I  am  finding  fault  with  my 
school;  I  am  only  reflecting  upon  the  grief  which  con- 
fidence in  human  nature  brings. 

In  the  intervals  of  school  days  I  found  much  to  amuse 
me  at  the  telegraph  office.  I  had  struck  up  a  friend- 
ship with  the  head  telegraph  operator,  and  in  his  idle 
moments  he  instructed  me  in  the  mysteries  of  teleg- 
raphy, until  I  became  quite  expert  with  the  keys.  I 
never  thought  then  in  what  good  stead  this  knowledge 
would  stand  me  in  after  years. 

About  this  time  father  bought  me  a  nag  from  a  trav- 
eling gypsy.  He  was  a  black  cur,  as  we  thought,  fit 
only  for  a  mild  scamper  across  the  fields.  We  didn't 
know  Neb — Nebuchadnezzar,  Neb  for  short — and,  like 
a  good  many  people  whom  we  underrate  on  first  ac- 
quaintance, he  surprised  everybody  when  it  came  his 
time  to  shine. 

The  Mason  and  Slidell  trouble  between  England  and 
the  States  occurred  about  this  time,  and  our  town  had  a 
regiment  of  British  troops  encamped  in  her  vicinity. 
Races  and  steeplechases  were  frequent  occurrences,  and 
in  one  of  these  I  entered  Neb  among  a  mixed  lot  of 
other  horses,  scrubs,  curs  and  imported  thoroughbreds. 
Of  course  no  one  with  a  scrub  expected  to  win,  but  he 
would  have  the  exhilaration  of  trying.  There  is  a  deal 


316  ILLUSTRATED  HIS10RY 

of  satisfaction  in  trying  to  do  a  thing  even  if  you  don't 
do  it.     Everybody  tried.     I  tried.     So  did  Neb. 

Our  race  was  a  three  mile  across-country  go-as-you- 
please-but-get-tbere  contest  over  a  stretch  of  fields  and 
meadows.  I  suppose  the  ground  had  been  selected  be- 
cause of  the  number  of  fences,  hedges  and  ditches  to  be 
taken.  Anyway  all  I  know  is  that  Neb  seemed  to  want 
to  graze  on  stars  one  minute  and  to  bite  the  dust  the 
next.  At  first  the  race  was  a  mixed  up  scamper,  all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  horses  clearing  hedges  in  a 
bunch,  like  hounds  let  loose,  and  then  as  soon  as  I  got 
my  breath  after  the  first  few  evolutions  in  mid-air  I 
found  Neb  and  me  neck  and  neck  with  the  imported 
thoroughbred  ridden  by  tho  colonel  of  the  regiment. 
I  forgot  that  Neb  wasn't  a  thoroughbred  too,  trained 
in  steeplechases  all  his  life;  I  forgot  that  I  wasn't  the 
colonel  of  a  regiment,  drilled  in  racing  tactics  from 
the  day  I  put  on  little  blue  shoes.  I  forgot  everything 
except  that  Neb  and  I  must  pass  the  wire  before  that 
other  horse  which  skimmed  the  ground  like  a  black- 
bird by  my  side.  Steady,  Neb,  another  fence!  Ah,  well 
done,  old  boy!  You  took  that  like  a  hunter!  Off  we 
go  over  another  level  stretch !  I  woke  up  to  the  fact  that 
Neb  acted  like  an  old  turf  horse.  I  almost  felt  his  mus- 
cles play  under  me,  I  felt  his  effort  to  keep  nose  and 
nose  with  the  thoroughbred,  and  I  felt,  too,  that  he 
was  keeping  a  bit  of  reserve  force  for  the  home  stretch, 
while  the  thoroughbred,  starting  with  contempt  for  the 
scrubs,  had  set  out  to  distance  them  at  once.  He  had 
— all  except  Neb.  Dear  old  Neb,  you  go  like  a  carrier 
pigeon!  Another  ditch!  Another  fence!  Another  level! 


OF  THE  UNION    STOCK  YARDS  317 

Good  boy,  you're  half  a  length  ahead  of  him  now  I  Steady 
for  the  last  hedge  now  and  we  win!  That's  it — never 
even  touched  the  twigs!  Steady!  Stead — ah — waugh 
— whiz-z-z — thump — stars!!!  Where  are  we?  What 
happened?  No,  no  bones  brok — scratched  a  bit.  Oh, 
it  was  only  a  posthole  just  over  the  hedge.  Neb's  foot 
went  into  it,  and — we  lost  the  race!  Don't  feel  so  bad, 
Neb.  We  aren't  thoroughbreds,  you  know,  and  our  pride 
not  being  up  very  high  it  couldn't  come  down  very 
far  either.  That's  the  advantage  of  being  lowly.  You 
mustn't  feel  bad, Neb;  it's  only  the  dirt  in  my  eyes  makes 
my  eyes  red;  and  some  must  have  got  into  my  throat,  a 
big  lump  of  it.  Maybe  there's  a  lump  of  dirt  in  your 
throat,  too,  Neb,  Feels  ba-ba-bad,  doesn't  it,Ne-Ne- 
Neb? 

My  boyhood  seems  to  have  ended  just  about  that 
time.  The  first  ink  ling  I  had  of  that 

dawning  dignity  was  ^£  the  panegyrics  in  the 

local  papers  the  day  ^JlV/  a^er  that  race,  when 
"young  Blank's  mar  /'0'nci  ve^ous  handling  of  a 
good  horse  nearly  IM0lL  won  *ne  race  against 
one  of  the  best  race  1  ¥|'  horses  from  England, 
an  untoward  accident  ,,J^  »•  f^  only  preventing  his 
coming  in  half  a  neck  THECOLONEL.  ahead,"  etc.,  etc., 
etc.,  all  of  which  brought  home  to  me  a  realization 
of  the  fact  that  I  was  no  longer  a  boy.  I  was  old 
enough  to  be  fleeced,  and  the  world  lost  no  time  in  in- 
itiating me  into  her  methods  of  skinning. 

The  world  is  a  wonderful  place.  From  the  time  you 
wear  long  curls  until  you  reach  young  manhood  it 
makes  much  of  you,  teaches  you  to  think  it  a  good, 


318  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

motherly  old  world,  whose  particular  business  it  is  to 
raise  up  friends  for  you — good  hail-fellows-well-met 
who  have  so  much  affection  for  you  and  such  unbounded 
confidence  in  your  great-heartedness  that  they  come 
to  you  with  their  troubles,  demonstrate  their  friendship 
by  borrowing  your  money,  drinking  your  wine  and  rid- 
ing your  horses.  Then  some  fine  day  you  open  your 
purse  and  find  it  empty,  you  go  to  your  stable  and  find 
it  vacant.  It's  a  shock,  but  the  recollection  of  your 
hosts  of  friends  helps  you  to  recover.  You  go  to  your 
friends  They  must  be  busy  today,  they  are  all  in  such 
a  hurry.  They  are  always  busy  after  that.  And  grad- 
ually it  dawns  upon  you  that  the  wind  blows  from  the 
north  wherever  you  go.  It's  a  puzzler  at  first;  you 
don't  understand  it.  The  very  last  thing  people  do 
nnderstaud  is  that  their  friends  have  left  them — those 
dear  friends  who  were  all  graciousness,  candidness  and 
affection  a  little  while  ago.  It's  wonderful  how  quickly 
the  channel  of  love  can  be  dammed  by  adversity. 

My  father  died  soon  after  my  first  realization  of 
dawning  manhood,  my  stepmother  getting  his  whole 
property.  I  had  my  first  experience  then  of  being 
broke.  Broke  is  a  good  word.  It  was  probably  invented 
by  some  man  who  hadn't  a  cent  nor  a  friend;  who 
hadn't  a  place  to  sleep  nor  anything  to  eat;  a  man  who 
would  like  to  have  pillowed  his  head  on  the  sands  of 
the  lake,  with  the  water  above  him  for  bedclothing,  but 
who  had  too  much  stamina  to  lay  down  the  gun  to  a 
world  composed  largely  of  ingrates,  and  having  no  other 
occupation  h.3  coined  a  word  to  describe  his  condition. 
The  result  was  "broke."  It's  a  good  word,  I  say. 


OF    THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  319 

Well,  I  was  broke,  I  was  do-wn  in  cash,  down  in 
friends,  down  in  spirits — I  was  down,  in  fact,  below 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  And  I  had  about  as  correct 
a  view  of  mankind  from  that  point  as  I  have  ever  had 
in  my  life.  It's  an  awful  thing  to  see  your  fellow  men 
from  below.  You  can't  see  their  heads  nor  the  region 
of  their  hearts;  all  you  can  see  is  their  feet,  and  that 
part  of  a  man's  anatomy  which  he  turns  toward  you 
when  you  ask  him  for  a  loan,  and  you  are  not  inspired 
thereby  with  confidence.  I  learned  then  that  men  are 
attractive  or  repulsive  according  to  the  direction  from 
which  you  see  them. 

A  man  who  is  broke  seldom  cares  to  stay  in  a  place 
where  he  has  seen  better  days.  At  least  so  it  was  with 
me.  So  I  gathered  up  my  belongings,  including  two 
handsome  mastiffs  and  a  little  fox  terrier,  Flirt,  who 
was  my  particular  pet,  and  left  for  the  States.  Finally 
I  drifted  to  Kansas  City  to  exhibit  my  dogs  at  a  dog 
show  being  held  there.  For  a  while  I  lived  well  there 
on  the  profits  of  a  streak  of  good  luck,  putting  up  at 
the  best  hotel  and  enjoying  my  temporary  prosperity. 
After  that  for  a  while  I  lived  part  of  the  time  in  leisure 
and  all  the  time  in  anxiety.  Then  I  did  something  of 
which  I  have  been  ashamed  ever  since.  I  sacrificed  my 
little  friend  Flirt,  whose  devotion  to  me  had  for  so  long 
been  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  me.  Poor  Flirt!  I 
would  rather  have  a  wag  of  your  tail  today  than  the 
shake  of  most  men's  hands.  But  a  man  will  sacrifice 
even  his  friends  to  his  necessities,  and  1  sacrificed  Flirt. 

Sitting  in  my  hotel  one  evening  with  Flirt  at  my  side 
I  was  engaged  in  conversation  by  a  young  Englishman. 


320  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Flirt's  presence  having  turned  the  talk  on  dogs,  he  re- 
marked, "I  would  like  to  get  a  pair  of  mastiffs,  some- 
thing extra  fine."  "You  have  not  far  to  go,"  I 
answered,  "I  know  a  man  who  has  the  best  pair  in  Amer- 
ica."  "Who  and  where  is  he?"  demanded  the  English- 
man, eagerly.  "Here.  I  am  the  man."  By  nine  o'clock 
next  morning  he  had  my  dogs,  Flirt  included,  and  I 
had  $900  in  my  inside  pocket. 

That  day  a  letter  came  to  me,  a  yellow,  typewritten 
letter.  I  have  always  felt  shy  of  yellow  typewritten 
letters  since  then.  It  was  apparently  a  kindly  inten- 
tioned  letter  and  read: 


DAILY  MARKET  LETTER. 


DENMAN  BROWNE  &  CO. 

COMMISSION  MERCHANTS 

GRAIN,  PROVISIONS,  SEEDS,   ETC. 


Dear  Sir:  Wednesday,   May  21,    18<:. 

To-day's  markets   cables  spot  wheat  1-2  d.   higher. 

Wheat   fluctuations  quick  and  violent,   open  firmer  with  heavy 
rains   in  the  northwest.     There   is   not  a  bushel  of  wheat 
at   the  seaboard ,   and  when  all  the  Duluth  and  Chicago  wheat 
reaches   tide  water,    it  will  rapidly  disappear  and  give  us 
an   irrmens'.'  decrease   in  the   visible. 

Anybody  knows  that   we   shall  not  have  half  a  crop  end 
there    is   great  danger   of  that   being  destroyed  by  chinch 
bugs,  which  have   made  their  appearance   in  vast  numbers  in 
the  wheat   belts.     There   is   a  black  war  cloud  hanging  over 
Europe.     The   German  Emperor  has    telegraphed  he  will  not 
attend  the  yacht  races,   and  so  many  chances   yet   for  damages. 
to  the  growing  poor  crop,   and  when  one  stops  to  think  that 


OP   THE  UNION  STOCK  YARDS  821 

•winter  wheat  only  shows  half  a  crop,   and  with  bu<*  reports, 
we  believe   purchases   of  wheat  should  be  made  at  once. 

Good  people  are  buying.     Oudahue  took   on  two  millions 
on  the   reaction;   values   will    certainly  be  twenty   to   twenty- 
.five   cts.   hitfier.     All   that  holds    it   down  is  the   present 
low  demand  and  May   liquidations  by  parties  who  got   it   deliv- 
ered to  them  and  did  not  want    it,   and  also  due  largely  to 
lack   of  demand,   but  the  bear*  have  had  their  day. 
Corn  and  oats  firm  and  much  higher,   provisions   closed   or.  the  top. 

Hoping  to  be   favored  with  a  share  of  your   orders,    I    re- 
main 

yours/  very  truly. 


I  at  once  perceived  millions  in  that  letter, large, pow- 
erful, reassuring  millions,  and  I  rolled  the  word  under 
my  tongue  like  a  sugar  plum.  Only  it  was  much  more 
exquisitely  delicious  than  any  sugar  plum  I  had  ever 
had,  even  when  a  very  little  boy.  Following  the  di- 
rections, I  hurried  to  see  my  new  friend.  I  call  him 
friend,  for  I  was  sure  that  he  must  be  some  one  speci- 
ally raised  up  by  Providence,  if  not  indeed  specially 
created,  to  help  me  set  on  my  newly  acquired  dollars  and 
hatch  them  into  geese  which  should  each  and  individ- 
ually be  the  goose  that  laid  the  golden  egg  I  felt  my- 
self to  be  up,  distinctly  and  distinguishedly  up.  I 
might  be  a  Vanderbilt  before  the  week's  end,  and  trod 
the  street  as  a  prospective  Rockefeller.  I  found  my 
friend  in.  That  was  no  surprise.  It  seemed  only  nat- 
ural that  people,  specially-raised-up  friends  in  particu- 
lar, should  be  waiting  for  the  soon-to-be  millionaire. 


322  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

I  believe  people  usually  do  wait  in  for  millionaires 
He  was  a  bucket  shop.steerer.  I  didn't  understand 
from  his  letter  that  he  was  a  bucket  shop  steerer. 
But  I  reflected  that  great  ends  are  sometimes  wrought 
by  small  means.  We  had  dinner  together.  It  was  a 
simple  dinner  for  a  man  who  might  sup  that  very  night 
from  a  banquet.  Then  we  went  to  the  board  of  trade. 
He  conducted  me  to  a  dim  corner  where  even  a  wink 
would  be  invisible  to  others.  There  was  to  be  a  sudden 
raise  in  that  staple  commodity,  wheat.  Whaat  had  a 
nice,  rich  sound  to  my  ears.  It  was  a  word  0119  could 
associate  with  pride  with  the  making  of  a  sudden  fortune. 

x 

It  was  a  substantial  sounding  name,  and  there's  a  good 
deal  in  a  name,  Shakespeare  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing. I  thought  that  I  would  really  rather  make 
my  fortune  in  wheat  than  in  anything  else.  I  associated 
this  agreeable  development  with  the  good  offices  of 
my  friend,  a  special  manipulation  of  minor  details,  in 
fact,  for  my  sole  gratification,  and  felt  that  I  could 
never  be  sufficiently  grateful  to  him. 

I  willingly  gave  up  $300— $100  for  10, 000  bushels  and 
$200  for  margins,  and  sat  still  waiting  for  the  $300  to 
develop  into  thousands.  They  didn't  develop.  My 
steerer  came  to  reassure  me.  Such  things  often  hap- 
pened, he  said;  I  must  buy  another  10,000  bushels  on  the 
drop.  Of  course,  I  now  reflected,  there  must  necessarily 
be  intermediate  steps  attended  with  anxiety  in  the  ac- 
quisition of  millions.  Otherwise  everybody  would  be 
reaping  millions  from  a  few  dollars.  I  hadn't  thought 
of  that  before  and  it  completely  restored  my  cheerful- 
ness. I  bought  another  10,000  bushels  on  the  drop. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  323 

Buying  wheat  on  the  drop  sounded  well  to  my  ears  then. 
I  felt  that  I  should  appreciate  much  more  a  fortune  so 
narrowly  won,  snatched  from  the  turning  of  a  hair,  as 
it  were.  The  only  drawback  to  my  appreciation  or  my 
fortune  either  was  that  the  hair  didn't  turn.  The  wheat 
dropped.  So  did  my  expectations.  Both  have  been 
dropping  ever  since,  I  dropped  out  of  the  bidding  with 
$2  in  my  pocket.  My  confidence  in  my  fellow  men 
dropped  also,  dropped  far  below  zero.  It  hasn't  come 
up  yet. 

Two  dollars  is  a  small  sum  on  which  to  begin  life, 
particularly  if  you  have  to  live  on  it  too,  until  you  be- 
gin. Instead  of  investing  $300  in  wheat  I  now  invested 
five  cents  in  a  copy  of  the  Times.  I  then  retired  to  the 
park,  and  seated  on  the  grass  looked  over  the  "want" 
columns  of  the  paper  There  was  nothing  there  to 
arouse  my  expectations  greatly  after  my  recent  disap- 
pointment. I  was  not  familiar  with  "want"  columns, 
and  at  any  other  time  some  of  the  ads.  might  have  in- 
spired sanguinary  hopes.  They  invited  me  to  organize 
secret  societies  for  a  high  commission  per  head,  to  sell 
a  useful  household  article  and  thereby  earn  $50  daily, 
to  become  a  painter,  printer,  coachman  or  auctioneer. 
None  of  these  occupations  appealed  to  me  as  my  voca- 
tion in  life.  Painting  and  printing  were  not  in  my 
list  of  accomplishments.  I  doubted  my  ability  to  sell 
a  household  article,  however  useful.  To  be  an  auction- 
eer, then,  was  all  that  remained  to  me.  It  was  not  ex- 
actly in  my  line,  but  I  reflected  that  in  my  new  way  of 
life,  without  the  prop  of  a  full  purse,  I  should  probably 
sometimes  have  to  stoop  to  conquer,  and  I  might  as 
well  begin  at  once. 


824  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

Calling  at  the  address  given,  I  surprised  myself  by 
securing  the  position.  The  next  morning  I  rode  to  the 
scene  of  the  auction,  I  found  it  a  picturesque  vacant 
acre  in  the  suburbs,  called  the  Elms.  The  name  was  no 
doubt  derived  from  a  solitary  scrub  elm  standing  in  the 
center  of  the  ground,  which  the  imagination  of  the  spon- 
sor magnified  into  a  number  of  fine  old  trees.  At  least 
I  surmised  that  must  have  been  the  way,  to  account 
for  the  name  being  in  the  plural  number.  Imagina- 
tion goes  a  good  way  toward  making  life  pleasant. 
The  genius  who  owned  the  acre  had  fenced  it  in  and 
rented  it  to  my  employer  for  a  horse  market — I  almost 
said  a  horsemeat  market,  for  I  found  that  dead  horses 
were  also  sold  there,  their  price  being  uniformly  $2, 
regardless  of  whether  they  were  fat,  juicy  and  tender 
or  lean  and  tough  as  some  men's  souls.  A  live  horse,  I 
learned,  was  worth  the  price  of  a  dead  horse  plus  the 
value  of  the  life  that,  remained  in  him.  Some  of  the 
horses  there  had  fifty  cents'  worth  of  life,  and  others 
had  as  much  as  $50  worth.  Those  who  did  not  buy  a 
horse  for  his  steak  were  speculators  on  the  life  that  was 
in  him.  But  most  of  the  horses  sold  were  "pelters," 
"plugs,"  "skinners"'  or  "skates,"  words  which  are  all 
abbreviations  of  the  sentence  "fit  only  for  slaughter." 

When  the  moment  came  for  the  sale  I  sat  in  my 
buggy  (my  employer's.  I  mean),and  announced  the  con- 
ditions of  the  sale  to  the  assembled  speculators,  ped- 
dlers and  junkmen,  a  ragged  crowd  of  mongrel  humans 
who  came  with  four  or  five  dollars  in  their  pockets  to 
buy  a  poor  beast  to  draw  their  ramshackle  carts.  In- 
creasing my  voice  to  a  stentorian  depth,  I  said:  "All 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  325 

we  guarantee  is  that  the  horse  is  alive  when  the  ham- 
mer falls."  My  employer  had  given  me  strict  injunc- 
tions on  this  point,  for  should  a  horse  breathe  his  last 
two  minutes  after  the  bang  of  the  hammer  the  loss 
would  be  the  buyer's,  and  he  couldn't  even  complain. 

u Here  comes  a  pelter,"  yelled  the  crowd  as  the  stable 
man  led  out  an  unhappy  beast  which  trotted  weakly  up 
and  down  behind  the  man. 

"Start  it,"  I  cried  "What'll  it  be?  Two  dollarsl 
two  dollars!  Half '11  make  it  three, "  etc.,  etc.,  etc., 
until  all  but  one  animal  had  been  sold.  The  last  horse 
led  out  was  blind;  he  also  had  the  mange,  and  spring- 
halt, and  was  windbroke.  These  complications  were 
aggravated  by  a  degree  of  weakness  which  in  a  hu- 
man would  be  called  locomotor  ataxy.  He  was  alive. 
That  fact  was  made  apparent  by  his  ability  to  follow 
the  groom  by  force  of  the  halter.  Had  the  halter  broken 
he  would  have  fallen  on  his  haunches.  I  am  possessed 
of  a  certain  amount  of  humanity,  and  to  sell  this  poor 
beast  seemed  an  act  of  brutality  of  which  I  should 
never  have  thought  myself  capable.  But  I  reflected 
that  I  was  there  to  sell  anything,  and  that  the  choice 
lay  between  selling  the  horse  and  losing  my  position. 
I  did  the  former,  and,  as  it  developed,  the  latter  also. 
This  was  the  forty-third  horse  sold  that  morning,  and 
closed  the  auction.  It  also  closed  my  career  as  a  knight 
of  the  hammer.  The  man  who  bought  the  object  of 
my  pity  paid  $2.50  for  him,  and  led  him  proudly  from 
the  market.  Just  outside  the  enclosure  the  horse  fell 
down  and  died.  The  peculiarity  about  that  horse  was 
that  he  hadn't  fallen  down  and  died  before.  I  have 


326  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

not  the  stomach  of  an  ostrich, and  this  sight  settled  me 
in  the  conviction  that  while  I  might  be  an  auctioneer 
of  horses  I  could  never  be  an  auctioneer  of  live  horse- 
meat,  and  that  evening  I  handed  in  my  "chips." 

My  next  step  in  life  was  to  become  a  telegraph  oper- 
ator. I  took  that  step  by  accident.  Some  accidents 
are  fortunate.  This  was  one  of  them.  My  knowledge 
of  telegraphy  picked  up  for  amusement  at  the  little 
telegraph  office  in  my  little  Canadian  city  stood  me  in 
good  stead.  When  a  man  is  on  his  feet  he  goes  up  the 
ladder  quickly.  Promotions  followed  rapidly,  and 
within  six  months  I  was  successively  all-round  man, 
city  chief,  weather  reporter,  associated  press  reporter, 
worked  a  New  York  quod,  and  did  the  C.  and  D.  's.  I 
went  up  rapidly  and  came  down  even  more  so.  In  fact, 
I  came  down  so  rapidly  that  within  twenty-four  hours 
after  leaving  the  telegraph  office  as  usual  in  the  even- 
ing, on  the  best  of  terms  with  my  superiors  in  office, 
and  with  every  prospect  of  being  manager  within  a 
week's  time,  I  was  again  a  man  of  "infinite  leisure," 
though  not  of  "expensive  amusements."  The  memora- 
ble great  strike  had  come  and,  like  all  good  members 
of  the  union,  I  "walked  out"  with  the  boys. 

The  following  week  I  was  engaged  by  the  opposition 
telegraph  company  to  take  charge  of  their  office  at 
Boom  Creek,  Colorado.  I  liked  Boom  Creek.  I  shall 
always  remember  it  with  pleasure.  A  man  usually  does 
remember  a  place  with  pleasure  where  he  has  raised  the 
rhino.  That  predisposes  him  in  its  favor  for  all  time.  I 
did  the  C.  and  D. 's  there  also — that  is,  I  took  the  board 
of  trade  quotations — and  with  the  inside  information 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  827 

thus  gained  I  speculated  in  wheat.  As  a  result  I  cleared 
$15,000,  beside  incidentally  clearing  out  two  bucket 
shops. 

With  this  little  "pile"  I  resigned  my  position  and 
went  to  Omaha.  I  was  now  a  full-fledged  "plunger," 
and  my  own  steerer.  That  fact  had  brought  back  to  me 
my  one-hour  vision  of  millions,  and  I  watched  my 
chance  to  make  them.  One  day  I  thought  it  had  come, 
and  I  plunged.  I  plunged,  but  I  didn't  bring  up  the 
goblet.  I  was  broke  again !  Completely  broke!  Dead 
broke  I  A  week  after  leaving  Boom  Creek  I  sat  in  the 
park  and  meditated  on  the  gloominess  of  my  prospects. 
The  park  is  a  sort  of  "friendly  arms"  for  men  who 
are  broke.  But  I  don't  complain.  The  wheels  of  the 
world  roll  rapidly,  and  if  a  man  does  not  get  out  of 
the  way  quick  enough  he'll  get  under. 

So  I  sat  in  the  park  and  meditated.  Meditation,  the 
philosophers  tell  us,  is  good  for  the  soul,  and  I  won't 
presume  to  doubt  them.  But  it  isn't  profitable.  I  have 
had  plenty  of  opportunities  to  meditate,  but  I  never 
grew  fat  on  it.  I  noticed  a  number  of  other  men  who 
came  to  the  park  to  meditate.  They  didn't  grow  fat 
either.  I  tried  to  fraternize  with  the  other  men.  I 
felt  that  we  all  had  one  thing  in  common;  we  were  all 
broke.  That  fact  was  the  one  conspicuous,  unmistak- 
able thing  about  us — when  we  were  in  the  park.  Else- 
where we  put  on  cheerful  faces.  And  I  thought  as  we 
were  mutually  unfortunate — and  misfortune  is  said  to 
make  all  the  world  akin — we  might  exchange  advice. 
Advice  was  the  only  thing  within  our  means.  We  would 
have  liked  cigars  better,but  we  yielded  gracefully  to  the 


828  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

inevitable.  But  I  found  that  being  broke  was  the  only 
attribute,  as  it  were,  which  was  common  to  us.  They 
were  lovers  of  nature  in  the  nude;  in  fact,  they  were 
quite  artistically  particular  on  that  point.  They  lived 
out  of  doors  so  they  could  see  nature  in  their  favorite 
garb.  They  preferred  a  stump  to  sit  on  to  the  softest 
chair,  and  the  grass  to  walk  on  rather  than  the  richest 
carpet;  the  trees  and  flowers  were  their  interior  decora- 
tions, the  clouds  their  hangings  and  the  sky  their  roof. 
In  short,  the  whole  land  was  their  dwelling,  and  houses 
were  only  necessary  blemishes  on  the  landscape,  the 
kitchens  of  their  chefs,  as  it  were.  They  were  like  the 
lilies  of  the  field,  they  toiled  not,  neither  did  they  spin, 
and  yet  they  were  clothed — and  presumably  in  their 
right  minds.  Thay  confided  to  me  that  they  lived  on 
the  fat  of  the  land,  and  yet  were  I  to  believe  the  tales 
of  great  distances  traveled  by  them  I  calculated  they 
must  eat  it  as  they  walked — maybe  with  the  forks  of 
the  road. 

One  afternoon,  a  few  days  after  my  fatal  plunge,  I 
strolled  downtown.  In  my  pocket  were  three  cold, 
solitary  nickels,  the  last  of  my  $15,000.  With  one  of 
these  I  bought  some  buns  and  an  apple.  With  my  paper 
bag  in  hand  I  started  to  stroll  back  again.  I  should  say 
that  I  was  strolling  at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour. 
There  is  no  better  inducement  to  stroll  at  a  brisk  pace 
than  a  paper  bag.  There  is  something  about  a  paper 
bag  which  tempts  a  man  to  get  to  his  destination  in 
the  shortest  time  possible.  A  man  can't  feel  proud 
when  in  company  with  a  paper  bag.  Suddenly  I  halted. 
I  didn't  halt  of  my  own  free  will,  but  because  I  couldn't 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  329 

go  any  farther.  The  reason  I  couldn't  go  any  farther 
was  that  there  was  a  man  in  front  of  me  and  I  was  in 
front  of  him,  and  we  were  so  close  in  front  of  each 
other  that  for  a  moment  it  was  painful.  In  fact,  there 
was  a  shock,  in  which  we  got  generally  mixed  up,  and 
the  paper  bag  burst  with  excitement.  The  man  com- 
menced to  apologize  to  me  and  I  commenced  to  apolo- 
gize to  him,  and  finally  we  apologized  to  each  other 
and  were  going  on  again,  when  he  caught  sight  of  the 
bag  and  the  buns  on  the  pavement  and  called:  "Oh, 
I  say,  isn't  this  yours?'1 

"No,"  I  answered,  "isn't  it  yours?"  We  looked  back 
suspiciously  at  each  other,  and  then  it  dawned  upon  us 
both  that  we  had  seen  each  other  before. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  but  are  you  not  Mr.  Blank  of 
Hamilton,  Canada?" 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "and  you  are  Lord  Dasham  of 
Dorsetshire,  England."  Then  we  fraternized.  We 
talked  over  old  times,  old  England  and  New  America. 
In  the  former  Lord  Dasham  had  an  ancestral  home 
and  a  bank  account,  in  the  latter  a  ranch  and  paying 
investments.  He  was  very  enthusiastic  over  his  ranch 
and  paying  investments.  He  even  tried  to  interest  me 
in  his  ranch,  and  I  was  willing  to  be  interested.  I  let 
him  know  that  I  was  willing  to  be  interested.  When 
he  had  talked  himself  out  on  that  subject  it  occurred  to 
him  to  ask  what  I  was  doing.  I  told  him.  That  is, 
I  did  not  give  him  a  minute  account  of  my  daily  occu- 
pation, but  I  intimated  that  I  was  looking  around  for 
an  opening  in  some  paying  business.  He  said  that  he 
wished  I  would  manage  his  ranch  for  him.  I  said  I 


330  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

might  consider  that.  He  said  he  would  let  me  hear 
from  him  about  it,  and  then  we  both  said  good-day 
and  shook  hands.  He  went  to  his  hotel  to  keep  an  en- 
gagement and  I  went  to  the  park  to  wait  for  one.  The 
.next  morning  I  saw  by  the  paper  that  he  had  left  town. 
My  hopes  left  me. 

That  afternoon, as  usual,  I  sauntered  downtown,  stop- 
ping at  my  old  hotel  for  mail,  where  I  still  had  it  ad- 
dressed. Among  other  things  there  was  a  telegram 
waiting  for  me.  I  ripped  it  open  and  read: 

"Start  at  once  for  my  ranch.  I  send  you  fifty  pounds 
for  expenses." 

Fifty  pounds — two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars!  And 
a  position  which  would  be  a  paying  one  I  Surely  my  ups 
were  as  sudden  as  my  downs! 

Lord  Dasham's  ranch  was  in  Montana,  a  state  at 
that  time  inhabited  principally  by  deer  and  a  wilder- 
ness. There  were  no  railroads  penetrating  to  it,  and  my 
means  of  transit  would  be  a  pony  and  a  revolver.  I 
paid  a  debt  or  two  and  a  few  other  things.  Then  I  took 
the  train  to  Sydney,  Nebraska,  the  farthest  point 
reached  by  the  steel  steed.  At  Sydney  I  set  about  lay- 
ing in  my  traveling  outfit.  I  had  not  much  money 
left  after  paying  my  debts  and  the  few  other  things, 
so  I  was  obliged  to  be  economical.  I  laid  in  a  pony 
for  $20,  a  blanket  for  $2.50,  a  cricket  cap  for  seventy- 
five  cents,  an  umbrella  to  keep  the  sun  off,  for  $2, 
and  a  pearl  handled  pistol  for  $3.  The  pearl  handled 
pistol,  which  was  about  four  inches  long,  was  to  keep 
off  Indians.  I  had  never  seen  any  Indians  except 
stolidly  peaceful  ones,  but  I  felt  a  great  deal  of  con- 


OF  THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS 


881 


THE  TENDERFOOT  READY  TO  START  FOR  THE    RANCH. 

fidence   in   myself   and   my  pearl    handled   pistol.     I 
thought  that  together  we  could  keep  them  off. 

The  next  morning  I  started  for  the  ranch,  which  I 
was  told  was  220  miles  from  Sydney.  About  forty 
miles  from  the  city  I  came  up  with  an  old  buffalo 
hunter.  We  fraternized.  His  name  was  McNeal  and 
he  was  on  his  way  to  his  own  ranch,  which  was  100  miles 
this  side  of  Lord  Dasham's,  so  journeying  with  him 
would  start  me  well  on  my  way  to  my  destination. 
That  night  we  camped  out.  My  pony  was  tired,  for  Me- 
Neal's  horse  was  a  long-limbed,  fresh  animal,  and 
neither  the  rider  nor  the  horse  was  inclined  to  lag  on 
his  way  to  accommodate  my  pony.  So  it  was  a  case 


332  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

of  company  if  we  kept  pace, or  travel  alone  if  we  didn't. 
We  both  preferred  company,  so  we  kept  pace.  In  the 
afternoon  of  the  next  day  we  reached  the  Big  Powder 
River.  As  we  rode  along  the  bank  my  companion  re- 
marked that  we  must  cross  it. 

"Where's  the  bridge?"  I  asked,  glancing  up  and 
down  the  wide,  rapidly  flowing  stream.  "I'll  show 
you,"  he  answered,  and  before  I  could  say  another 
word  he  turned  his  horse's  head  toward  the  river,  and 
in  he  plunged.  I  had  a  vague  feeling  that  it  was  an 
accident,  and  that  I  ought  to  rush  to  his  rescue,  but 
McNeal  didn't  look  as  though  he  was  the  victim  of  an 
accident. 

"Are  you  going  to  cross  here?'5  I  called  after  him. 
He  called  back  that  that  was  what  he  was  doing,  and 
seeing  me  linger  on  the  bank  with  an  expression  of,  to 
say  the  least,  unwillingness  on  my  face,  he  added, 
"The  longer  you  look  at  it  the  less  you'll  like  it.  I'm 
going  on  and  you  can  go  back  if  you  want  to;  it's 
forty  miles.  But  if  you  can't  cross  this  river  you  had 
better  go  back  to  Omaha  right  away;  you  won't  do  in 
this  country." 

My  pony  ended  the  discussion.  He  had  been  whinny- 
ing after  the  other  horse  and  now, with  one  bound  over 
the  bank, took  the  water  after  him.  I  remembered  that 
in  rowing  across  a  river  the  boat  is  turned  up  stream. 
I  tried  to  turn  my  pony  up  stream  also,  when  my 
companion  shouted,  "Swim  down  stream;  let  your 
pony  have  his  head!"  I  let  my  pony  have  his  head  and 
swam  down  stream.-  I  thought  I  was  going  to  swim 
under  the  stream.  My  pony  was  light  of  weight,  while 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  333 

I  was  no  feather,  and  as  a  consequence  we  sank  deeper 
and  deeper  until  only  the  poor  beast's  nozzle  remained 
above  water.  When  he  reached  this  depth  I  felt  some 
anxiety.  Most  people  would.  I  offered  up  a  prayer. 
Some  people  do  pray.  Just  as  I  murmured  "amen"  the 
beast's  foot  caught  in  a  snag  under  the  water,  and — 
well,  the  reader  will  have  to  imagine  what  happened 
during  the  next  minute.  I  have  always  had  to  imagine 
it  myself.  My  recollection  of  the  occurrence  begins 
where  the  pony  floundered  up  the  opposite  bank  with 
me  on  his  back.  At  least  I  was  somewhere  on  him.  It 
might  have  been  on  his  neck.  I  don't  just  remember. 
On  the  bank  stood  McNeal.  McNeal  had  a  look  of 
mingled  anxiety  and  amazement  on  his  face.  I  didn't 
blame  him,  but  when  he  asked  if  I  had  never  crossed  a 
river  before  I  felt  that  there  are  moments  when  a  man 
shouldn't  express  his  thoughts  even  if  he  can't  help 
looking  them. 

We  rode  on  again.  In  my  heart  was  a  feeling  of  sin- 
cere thankfulness  to  Providence.  It  didn't  last  long. 
When  we  had  ridden  about  three  miles,  there  was  the 
river  before  us  again.  It  was  before  us  again  three  times 
after  that.  We  crossed  it  each  time.  There  is  nothing 
like  getting  used  to  a  thing,and  I  suppose  the  windings 
of  the  Big  Powder  River  are  an  invention  of  Old  Nick  to 
make  people  used  to  it. 

That  afternoon  about  nightfall  we  had  a  scare.  I  say 
we,  because  I  know  I  was  scared  and  I  suppose  my  com- 
panion was.  He  didn't  look  scared,  but  I  attributed 
his  calmness  to  the  probable  fact  of  his  having  greater 
control  over  his  facial  muscles  than  I  had.  Just  as  the 


334  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

sun  sank  down  behind  the  outer  rim  of  the  plains  there 
rose  between  us  and  the  blush  in  the  western  sky  a 
cloud  of  dust.  It  came  nearer  and  nearer.  McNeal 
looked  at  it  keenly.  "Indians,"  was  all  he  said.  I 
remembered  my  pearl  handled  pistol  and  felt  reassured. 
I  saw  McNeal  put  his  hand  to  his  belt,  and  I  surmised 
that  he  was  after  his  revolver.  I  didn't  want  to  seam 
slow  in  making  defensive  preparations,  so  I  whipped 
out  mine,  and  held  it  in  my  hand,  resting  my  hand  on 
the  pummel.  I  was  startled  to  hear  my  companion  ex- 
claim, "Thunder  and  lightning!"  and  turning  to  see 
what  was  the  matter,  found  his  eyes  fixed  on  my  pearl 
handled  pistol,  with  a  stare  of  such  complete  and  utter 
amazement  as  one  sees  only  once  in  a  lifetime.  He 
struggled  to  find  his  voice,  and  having  found  it  demand- 
ed, "What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that?" 

I  thought  he  was  unstrung  by  the  presence  of  danger, 
and  answered  calmly,  not  to  say  cheerfully,  "Do  with 
it?  Why,  defend  myself,  of  course!" 

McXeal  looked  at  me.  I  have  heard  people  laugh  be- 
fore, but  I  never  have  heard  any  one  laugh  as  he  did 
when  he  threw  his  head  back  after  that  look.  His  laugh 
was  so  sudden  and  loud,  so  deep  and  hilarious,  that  the 
horses  jumped.  He  laughed  so  long  I  feared  he  couldn't 
stop,  and  was  getting  hysterical.  At  last  he  did  stop, 
however,  and  exclaimed,  "You  are  a  tenderfoot!  You 
couldn't  kill  a  prairie  dog  with  that!" 

My  spunk  rose  in  a  minute.  I  was  opening  my  mouth 
to  say  something  back,  when  my  eye  happened  to  light 
on  his  revolver.  It  was  a  42  caliber  Remington,  and 
about  eighteen  inches  long  I  saw  the  point.  The  house 


OP  THE   UNION   STOCKYARDS  885 

had  tumbled  on  me.  I  forgave  McNeal.  I  did  more 
than  that — I  laughed.  I  did  not  laugh  quite  so  long 
nor  so  loud  as  he  did,  but  I  laughed.  We  had  consumed 
about  four  minutes  in  this  occupation,  and  now  looked 
again  for  the  distant  cloud  of  dust.  It  was  still  far 
away,  but  was  coming  nearer  and  nearer.  At  the  same 
time  the  sky  was  getting  darker  and  darker,  for  which 
we  were  duly  thankful.  We  turned  our  horses  towaid 
a  clump  of  scrub  oak,  behind  which  we  halted.  Ten 
minutes  later  a  band  of  twenty  or  thirty  Indians  swept 
by  us  about  fifty  yards  to  the  right,  passing  out  of  sight 
in  the  growing  gloom.  It  was  a  little  incident.  But 
it  might  have  been  a  tragedy. 

We  reached  McNeal's  ranch  late  that  night,and  upon 
his  invitation  I  remained  there  several  days.  It  was  a 
welcome  interruption  of  the  journey.  Both  I  and  my 
pony  needed  rest.  The  journey  thus  far  had  been  any- 
thing but  pleasant.  I  had  discovered  that  cricket  caps 
were  not  exactly  adapted  to  crossing  the  plains  in  mid- 
summer. My  eyes  had  grown  bloodshot  and  were  nearly 
blinded  by  the  glare  of -the  sun  on  the  sands,  while  the 
dry  heat  had  swelled  my  face  to  double  its  size.  I  was 
no  beauty  in  that  condition.  And  it  was  worse  after- 
ward, when  my  skin  peeled  off  in  strips.  The  few  days 
spent  at  McNeal's  ranch  did  much  to  heal  my  face  and 
eyes,  and  when  I  started  on  my  journey  again  I  was 
not  such  a  bad  looking  object.  We  bid  each  other 
good-bye  cordially;  for  we  had  grown  quite  friendly, 
and  I  didn't  mind  it  when,  as  I  rode  away,  McNeal 
called  after  me,  "Oh,  by  the  way,  Blank,  take  good 
care  of  that  pearl  handled  pistol  of  yours." 


336  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

I  rode  all  that  day  without  any  unusual  incident, 
and  nt  night  camped  near  a  great  boulder.  I  tethered 
my  pony  and  laid  me  down  behind  the  shelter  of  the 
rock.  I  slept  well  and  woke  with  the  pleasant  expec- 
tation of  reaching  my  destination  by  nightfall.  I  have 
noticed  that  one  usually  does  have  pleasant  expectations 
just  before  disappointments.  When  I  was  well  awake  I 
looked  over  the  rock  to  see  whether  my  pony  looked  as 
pleasantly  expectant  as  I  felt.  My  curiosity  was  not 
satisfied.  Simply  because  the  pony  was  not  there.  I 
sprang  up  in  a  hurry,  and  looked  all  around.  He 
couldn't  be  playing  hide-and-seek  with  me,  because 
there  was  nothing  behind  which  to  hide.  And  on  all  the 
great  expanse  of  plain  there  was  no  pony  in  sight. 
Coining  out  of  the  eastern  horizon,  however,  was  a  great- 
herd  of  cattle.  They  were  so  far  away  that  I  could  not 
distinguish  one  animal  from  another,  and  I  fancied 
that  maybe  my  pony  had  grown  lonesome  and  sought 
their  company.  I  didn't  fancy  seeking  their  company  in 
search  of  him  myself.  These  wild  cattle  of  the  plains 
are  dangerous  to  men  on  foot.  They  evidently  regard 
him  as  of  a  different  species  from  a  man  on  horseback, 
and  do  not  hesitate  to  attack  him.  There  was  nothing 
else  to  do,  however.  The  herds  would  shortly  spread 
all  over  the  plain  to  graze,  and  I  should  be  no  safer 
to  stay  where  I  was  than  to  go  where  they  were.  So  I 
started.  As  the  morning  advanced  herds  seemed  to 
come  from  every  point  of  the  horizon,  scattering  out 
until  the  whole  plain  was  mottled  with  the  formidably 
horned  beasts. 

I  was  beginning  to  congratulate  myself  on   the  fact 


OF  THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  337 

that  they  did  not  seem  to  observe  me  and  was  making 
straight  for  what  appeared  at  that  distance  to  be  the 
dried  up  bed  of  a  shallow  river.  On  the  bank  stood  a 
solitary  scrub  oak  tree,  and  a  short  distance  away  lay  a 
huge  pile  of  debris  and  underbrush,  probably  thrown 
up  by  the  river  during  a  century  of  springs  when  the 
water  was  high.  I  began  to  hope  my  pony  might  be 
there  A  second  later  I  was  sure  of  it,  and  espied  him 
grazing  peacefully  far  down  the  bed  of  the  stream.  Just 
at  that  moment  I  heard  an  angry  bellow  behind  me.  I 
turned.  There  stood  a  great  black  bull,  pawing  the 
earth  and  tossing  his  long  horns  vindictively  at  me.  I 
did  not  wait  to  offer  an  explanation  of  my  own  inoffen- 
sive intentions,  but  made  straight  for  that  scrub  oak. 
The  bull  made  straight  for  me.  I  was  up  the  tree  in  a 
twinkling  The  bull  stood  down  below  glaring  at  me. 
When  he  tired  of  that  he  pawed  the  earth  and  dug  up 
the  sand  with  his  horns,  roaring  ferociously  the  while. 
We  kept  up  this  performance  for  three  hours.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  wandered  off  to  the  pile  of  debris 
and  began  goring  his  horns  into  that.  Then  a  queer 
thing  happened.  Queer  things  do  happen  sometimes 
even  in  Montana.  A  great  cinnamon  bear  sprang  from 
beneath  the  underbrush,  and  before  I  could  believe  my 
eyes  the  bull  and  bear  charged  each  other  fiercely.  They 
fought  well.  It  was  as  pretty  a  battle  between  a  bull 
and  a  bear  as  I  have  seen  outside  a  board  of  trade. 
They  were  both  fine  specimens  of  their  kinds,  and  were 
well  matched.  At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  both  animals 
lay  on  the  ground,  kicking  their  last  feeble  kicks.  The 
rest  of  the  herd  had  watched  the  battle  with  interest. 


ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

I  daresay  they  even  speculated  on  the  result.  At  least 
the  bulls  at  the  board  of  trade  speculate  on  results.  At 
the  end  of  the  battle  they  sniffed  the  corpses  suspicious- 
ly, and  then,  throwing  their  tails  in  the  air,  turned  and 
galloped  over  the  plain  with  a  unanimous  bellow.  I 
got  off  my  perch  and  went  in  search  of  my  pony,  who 
was  again  out  of  sight.  I  found  him,  however,  with- 
out difficulty,  and  resumed  my  journey. 

I  encountered  no  other  adventures,  and  reached  my 
destination  next  morning.  The  ranch  which  was  to  be 
my  kingdom  I  found  to  consist  of  several  thousand  acres 
of  plains,  with  a  shed-like  cabin  in  the  way  of  "im- 
provements. "  Thousands  of  heads  of  cattle  grazed  on 
the  plains,  beside  1,200  mares.  My  duties  were  not 
difficult  and  my  remuneration  was  to  be  $2,000  annually, 
beside  half  of  the  colts  from  the  mares. 

I  fancied  it  would  be  profitable  if  not  pleasant,  and  I 
also  fancied  I  could  stand  it  for  a  while  at  least.  I 
was  mistaken  in  both  conjectures.  The  mode  cf  life 
on  a  Montana  ranch  is  trying.  Among  its  evils  are 
isolation  and  a  diet  of  dried  apples  and  rice.  Of 
course,  we  had  company  and  meat  once  in  a  while, 
but  neither  was  very  frequent.  We  had  company  from 
the  far-away  civilized  world  only  once  while  I  was  there, 
that  is,  when  Lord  Dasham  paid  us  a  visit.  And  we  had 
meat  whenever  we  could  get  it.  We  got  it  whenever  we 
could.  Several  times  a  week  three  hunters  would  be 
sent  out  to  get  it.  One  went  to  catch  fish,  a  second  to 
shoot  geese  and  the  third  to  kill  any  edible  animal  he 
could  find.  Generally  they  returned  with  full  cartridge 
belts  and  empty  game  bags.  As  I  and  the  cowboys  on 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  339 

the  ranch  were  all  carnivorous, this  enforced  vegetarian- 
ism was  anything  but  agreeable.  While  I  am  on  the 
diet  question,  I  may  as  well  add  that  our  cooking  uten- 
sils were  limited  in  number,  and  that  on  special  occa- 
sions our  tin  washbasin  served  as  a  pudding  dish.  And 
that  reminds  me  that  I  have  never  eaten  a  more  de- 
licious plum  pudding  than  we  baked  in  that  tin  wash- 
basin the  following  Christmas. 

Our  manner  of  sleeping  was  also  novel.  Down  the 
sides  of  the  one  long  room  of  the  cabin  were  placed 
the  slender  trunks  of  pine  trees.  At  night  we  threw 
our  buffalo  robes  on  the  floor,  one  end  over  the  tree 
trunks,  which  served  us  for  pillows.  During  the  day 
the  logs  were  used  for  seats. 

The  object  of  Lord  Dasham's  visit  that  fall  was  to 
instruct  me  to  breed  mules  instead  of  horses.  I  pro- 
tested. Lord  Dasham  insisted.  He  said  that  the 
mule  colts  from  his  1,200  mares  would  be  infinitely 
more  profitable  than  the  thoroughbreds  I  wished  to 
breed.  I  yielded,  and  throughout  the  long  winter  I 
waited  anxiously  and  he  hopefully  for  the  spring  foal- 
ing of  mules.  Spring  came  at  last,  the  snow  breaking 
up  and  making  traveling  into  the  mountains,  where  the 
mares  were  in  the  habit  of  wintering,  possible.  So 
with  a  posse  of  cowboys  I  started  out  to  round  up  the 
long  looked  for  crop  of  mules.  After  a  day's  search 
we  found  our  mares  but  not  our  mules.  At  last,  how- 
ever, late  in  the  afternoon,  we  happened  into  a  gully. 
The  first  things  our  eyes  rested  upon  were  three  little 
black  objects  which  we  at  first  took  for  jack  rabbits. 
But  when  we  espied  three  mares  near  them  I  realized 


840  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

that  this  was  our  crop  cf  mules,  the  colts  from  the  1,200 
mares  of  which  I  was  to  have  half. 

Even  such  a  result  of  his  venture  did  not  convince 
Lord  Dasham  that  mules  would  not  pay,  and  this  con- 
firmed my  suspicion  that  in  this  case  at  least  two  heads 
were  not  better  than  one.  A  week  later  I  strapped  my 
buffalo  robes  across  my  pony — the  same  pony  on  which 
I  had  traveled  to  the  ranch — and  bidding  adieu  to  the 
cowboys  and  the  career  of  a  ranchman,  I  turned  my 
face  again  toward  the  East. 

My  journey  eastward  was  not  attended  with  such  ad- 
ventures as  marked  my  coming  West.  That  is,  I  should 
say,  that  I  suffered  no  accidents,  although  I  caused  one. 
I  had  my  buffalo  robes  strapped  to  my  pony  behind  and 
in  front  of  me,  the  pile  reaching  almost  to  my  chin  in 
front.  I  daresay  I  was  a  formidable  looking  object  to 
any  one  seeing  me  from  the  front,  with  my  round  head 
protruding  from  this  massive  mound  of  shaggy  hide, 
which  gave  my  pony  the  appearance  of  a  monstrous 
long-legged  turtle.  As  the  sun  was  setting  on  the  after- 
noon of  my  first  day's  journey  I  climbed  up  the  western 
slope  of  a  steep  hill.  On  the  eastern  slope  was  a  squat- 
ter plowing  with  a  pair  of  mules,  and  as  I  approached 
the  summit  from  the  west  he  approached  it  from  the 
east  We  saw  each  other.  The  mules  stopped  stock 
still  as  if  suddenly  petrified,  and  then  throwing  their 
tails  into  the  air, turned  and  fled  across  the  plains.  The 
squatter  stood  with  his  eyes  glued  to  my  advancing 
monstrousness — I  can't  say  form,  for  I  had  none — with 
an  expression  which  said  that  escape  from  such  an  an- 
tediluvian monster  was  clearly  impossible.  As  I  passed 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  341 

on  he  turned  as  if  moving  on  a  pivot  and  continued 
gazing  after  me,  horror  fixed  on  his  face.  As  far  as  I 
could  see  him  he  still  gazed,  and  is  probably  gazing  yet; 
and  judging  by  the  velocity  with  which  his  mules  shot 
across  the  plains  they  must  be  running  yet. 

On  my  way  back  I  passed  through  Rapid  City,  now 
a  place  of  00,000  people,  but  then  a  ranch  and  a  black- 
smith shop.  I  was  keeping  company  with  the  stage 
which  then  ran  between  Buffalo  and  Miles  City,  and 
the  stage  driver  said  to  me  as  we  passed  the  blacksmith 
shop,  "If  you  want  to  get  rich  hop  off  and  squat  here; 
the  Northwestern  road  will  be  here  inside  of  two  years, 
and  you  can  own  a  million  iri  no  time."  That  seemed 
so  absurd  that  I  laughed.  I  am  laughing  with  the 
other  side  of  my  mouth  now.  Suburban  lots  there  are 
now  worth  $500  apiece. 

At  Miles  City  I  had  a  big,  juicy  steak,  the  first  I  had 
tasted  since  leaving  Omaha.  Afterward  I  took  the  train 
for  St.  Paul. 

At  St.  Paul  I  fell  in  with  two  old  acquaintances, 
Major  Roe  and  Captain  Gray.  They  were  talking  of 
taking  a  ranch.  I  suggested  that  they  go  to  Cincinnati 
and  start  a  horse  exchange  instead,  backing  up  the  sug- 
gestion with  an  intimation  that  there  was  a  fortune  in 
that  business.  The  idea  of  a  fortune  pleased  them, 
Gray  in  particular.  Gray  was  a  highflyer,  and  when- 
ever he  had  a  fortune  he  kept  a  tiger  and  drove  four 
thoroughbreds.  Naturally  he  would  like  to  have  a  for- 
tune. There  are  a  few  people  who  don't  care  much  for 
a  fortune,  but  he  was  not  one  of  them.  Neither  am  I. 

So  we  all  came  to  Cincinnati  and  started  a  horse  ex- 


342  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

change.  Soon  we  were  all  on  the  highroad  to  riches. 
Gray  was  beginning  to  look  around  for  four  thorough- 
breds and  a  tiger.  It  was  not  to  be,  however.  We 
were  going  up  the  road  too  fast, and  were  dooming  our- 
selves to  come  down  faster.  One  unlucky  day  I  went 
over  to  Michigan  to  buy  horses.  I  bought  100,  making 
a  deposit  of  $10  on  each  horse.  Two  hours  after  paying 
the  last  deposit  I  sat  in  my  hotel  waiting  for  a  draft 
from  Gray  to  pay  the  balance  and  take  the  horses  back 
with  me,  when  a  telegram  was  handed  me.  It  was  from 
Gray  and  read.  "Cannot  send  you  any  money.  Every- 
thing lost." 

I  didn't  understand,  so  I  took  the  next  train  to  Cin- 
cinnati to  find  out.  On  the  way  I  occupied  myself 
conjecturing  whether  Gray  had  been  burglarized,  been 
burned  out  or  gone  crazy.  I  hoped  it  was  the  latter. 
There  is  some  hope  for  a  man  who  has  gone  crazy,  but 
none  for  one  who  has  been  burglarized  or  burned  out  to 
such  an  extent  that  "everyth  ing  is  lost. "  Conjecturing 
was  neither  profitable  nor  pleasant.  So  I  was  natur- 
ally glad  when  Isaw  an  old  man  sitting  opposite  me  who 
looked  as  though  he  might  be  grateful  for  a  little  at- 
tention. He  was  sick,  unused  to  traveling  and  a  dear 
old  soul  beside.  I  brought  him  some  coffee  from  a  way- 
side station,  and  made  him  as  comfortable  as  I  knew 
how.  I  have  never  seen  any  one  so  grateful  for  small 
favors  When  we  reached  his  station  I  put  him  into  a 
cab,  while  he  pressed  my  hand  and  begged  me  to  come 
and  see  him  should  I  ever  pass  through  his  town.  I 
promised  and  hurried  back  to  the  train, 

When  I  reached  Cincinnati  I  discovered  that  Gray 


OP   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS 

had  neither  been  burglarized,  burned  out  nor  gone  crazy. 
He  had  been  speculating.  He  told  the  truth  when  he 
said  that  "everything  was  lost."  Everything  was  lost, 
completely,  irretrievably  lost.  I  also  lost  the  deposit 
on  the  100  horses,  not  having  the  money  to  pay  the  bal- 
ance on  them.  I  don't  blame  Gray.  He  had  a  tiger 
and  four  on  the  brain,  and  I  daresay  he  felt  that  he 
couldn't  wait  much  longer  for  them.  A  man  is  hardly 
responsible  when  he  has  something  on  the  brain,  es- 
pecially a  tiger  and  four. 

I  stayed  in  Cincinnati  about  two  months.  Nearly 
every  week  of  that  time  I  had  a  letter  from  the  old  gen- 
tleman whom  I  had  met  on  the  train.  Every  letter  was 
an  invitation,  each  one  more  urgent  than  the  last,  to 
me  to  come  and  pay  his  wife  and  him  a  visit.  I  was 
feeling  rather  sore  against  the  world  at  that  time.  I 
didn't  care  much  to  visit  anybody.  But  at  last  the  in- 
vitation became  so  urgent  that  I  yielded,  and  one 
afternoon  found  myself  strolling  up  Euclid  Avenue, 
Dupeton,  to  my  new  friend's  residence.  The  residence 
in  question  was  an  old-fashioned  mansion  standing  in 
a  large  garden.  On  the  steps  sat  an  old  lady  of  about 
seventy-five  years. 

"Is  Mr.  Blanchard  in?"    I  asked  her. 

"No,"  she  answered,  "but  he  will  be  soon.  Won't 
you  sit  down?" 

I  sat  down. 

"Shall  you  go  to  the  races  tomorrow,  Mrs.  Blanch- 
ard," I  asked,  for  I  surmised  that  the  old  lady  was 
Mrs.  Blanchard. 

"No,"  she  answered,  laughing,  "who  would  take  au 
old  woman  like  me?" 


844  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

"I  will,"  I  said,  but  before  I  could  say  more  Mr. 
Blanchard  appeared  before  us.  He  greeted  me  with  the 
greatest  cordiality  and  introduced  me  formally  to  his 
wife.  We  spent  an  unusually  pleasant  evening  together, 
and  before  we  parted  for  the  night  they  had  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  the  ups  and  downs  of  my  life,  while  I  knew  that 
they  were  a  childless  old  couple  pining  for  a  pair  of 
strong  young  hands  to  do  for  them. 

Next  morning  after  breakfast  I  went  downtown  to 
see  some  friends  who  had  brought  horses  to  the  races 
which  were  coming  off  that  day.  "Don't  forget  to  be 
ready  to  go  with  me  to  the  races,  Mrs.  Blanchard,"  I 
said  as  I  left  the  house. 

"You  wouldn't  take  an  old  woman  to  the  races, 
would  you?"  she  asked. 

"Of  course,  lam  going  to  take  you,"  and  off  I  went. 
Two  hours  later  I  was  back  with  a  carriage.  Mrs. 
Blanchard  was  just  as  I  had  left  her,  clothed  in  a  wrap- 
per. 

"Why,  Mrs.  Blanchard,"  I  cried,  "I'm  afraid  you'll 
have  to  hurry,  or  we'll  be  late." 

"Good  Lord,  my  boy,"  she  gasped,  catching  sight  of 
the  carriage  outside,  "I  didn't  believe  you  were  in  ear- 
nest! I  thought  you  were  joking!" 

"Not  joking  at.  all.     Get  ready  at  once." 

"My  lands,  my  dear  boy,  I  haven't  had  anything  on 
but  a  wrapper  for  twenty  years, "and  the  dear  old  soul 
dropped  into  a  chair,  overwhelmed  with  the  idea  of 
"dressing  up. "  I  told  her  that  that  was  all  the  more 
reason  why  she  should  put  on  something  else  now,  and 
with  that  I  hurried  her  into  her  room  and  shut  the  door 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  345 

on  her.  Then  I  sat  down  on  the  stairs  awaiting  the 
transformation.  I  waited  half  an  hour.  Then  I  rapped 
on  the  door  and  an  excited  voice  bade  me  "Come  in." 
I  went  in.  There  stood  Mrs  Blanchard  before  an  open 
trunk  full  of  dresses  of  a  past  age.  She  had  on  a  silk 
dress  which  must  have  been  handsome  twenty  years  ago. 
It  was  slightly  out  of  date  now.  More  than  that,  it 
only  went  half  way  around  her,  and  she  was  tugging  for 
dear  life  to  get  it  the  rest  of  the  way. 

"It's  no  use,  my  boy,  it's  no  use,"  she  gasped,  all 
in  a  flutter,  "I  can't  get  this  on." 

"Oh,  yes,  you  can,"  I  answered,  and  with  that  I 
took  hold  of  the  gown  and  pulled  it  together.  She  was 
greatly  relieved  and  laughed  heartily,  her  old  eyes 
twinkling  merrily. 

"I  must  wear  my  diamonds  today,  that  I  haven't  had 
on  for  twenty-five  years, "  and  with  that  she  hobbled 
to  an  old-fashioned  marble  top  table,  swung  the  top 
aside  and  revealed  to  my  astonished  eyes  a  glittering 
bed  of  the  finest  diamonds  I  have  ever  seen.  They  cov- 
ered the  entire  bottom  of  the  receptacle,  the  cover  of 
which  was  the  marble  top.  There  were  brooches  as  big 
as  saucers,  earrings,  rings,  pins,  tiaras,  lockets  and 
necklaces,  all  of  the  goodly  size  fashionable  fifty  years 
ago.  From  this  mass  she  took  out  a  massive  brooch,  a 
pair  of  earrings,  half  a  dozen  rings  and  a  jeweled 
watch.  These  she  put  on  and  announced  proudly  that 
she  was  ready. 

I  don't  believe  I  have  ever  created  such  a  sensation 
in  my  life  as  I  did  that  day.  I  had  gotten  the  best  car- 
riage  the  local  livery  boasted  of,  aDd  with  this  old  lady 


346  ILLUSTRATED   HISTORY 

by  my  side,  her  old-fashioned  gown  sparkling  with  dia- 
monds, trailing  old-fashioned  earrings  almost  touching 
her  shoulders  and  her  wrinkled  old  face  beaming  brighter 
than  her  brightest  gem,  I  felt  prouder  than  the  proverb- 
ial peacock.  She  was  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  as  the 
books  say,  and  all  my  friends — and  I  knew  every  horse- 
man there — were  flustrated  to  know  who  she  was. 

That  evening  I  was  aware  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blanch- 
ard  were  having  a  private  consultation.  The  next  day 
I  was  let  into  the  secret.  They  wished  me  to  stay  with 
them,  to  be  "their  boy,"  as  they  called  it,  to  take 
charge  of  their  property  while  they  lived  and  to  inherit 
it  when  they  died.  I  demurred.  They  insisted.  In- 
sistence is  as  good  a  quality  as  perseverance,  and  after 
several  days  of  indecision  I  yielded.  The  property,  val- 
ued at  $50,000,  was  made  over  to  meat  once.  We  cele- 
brated the  event  with  a  dinner,  at  which  I  was  intro- 
duced to  their  friends  as  their  adopted  son. 

The  papers  got  hold  of  the  story  and  chronicled  the 
occurrence  in  the  largest  type  as  a  rise  "From  a  Cowboy 
to  the  Owner  of  a  Euclid  Avenue  Mansion."  Had  I 
been  fond  of  notoriety  I  should  have  been  in  my  ele- 
ment. Before  I  knew  it  I  had  more  friends  than  I  could 
count.  I  was  bowed  to  and  smiled  upon  and  scraped  be- 
fore until  I  was  tired. 

This  lasted  about  three  mouths.  Three  months  is  a 
long  time  for  good  fortune  to  last.  Then  I  went  tD 
New  York  on  business.  While  there  I  thought  the  old 
people  ought  to  have  an  outing  after  so  many  years  of 
seclusion.  So  I  sent  back  several  trunks  full  of  material 
and  sent  an  order  to  the  beat  dressmaker  and  tailor 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS  347 

of  the  town  to  make  it  up  in  a  hurry  and  in  the  latest 
style.  Then  I  rented  a  cottage  at  Coney  Island.  That 
done,  I  hurried  back  to  bring  on  the  old  folks. 

I  reached  home  about  three  o'clock  one  gloomy  after- 
noon, and  hurried  up  Euclid  Avenue  to  the  place  I  now 
called  "home."  The  word  had  a  sweet  sound  to  my 
ears,  and  there  was  a  warm,  tender  place  in  my  heart 
for  the  dear  old  folks  who  had  been  so  good  to  me,  and 
as  I  hurried  along  I  found  myself  humming  softly  the 
tune  of  "The  Old  Folks  at  Home."  To  my  surprise  the 
front  of  the  house  had  a  shut-up  look.  I  thought 
"mother"  and  "father"  might  be  out — very  likely  were 
down  at  the  dressmaker's  and  tailor's  trying  on  their 
new  clothes.  Going  around  to  a  little  side  door  which 
led  directly  into  "mother's"  own  little  sitting  room,  I 
was  still  more  surprised  by  the  appearance  of  neglect 
about  the  garden.  There  was  no  sign  anywhere  of  the 
gardener  or  housemaids  I  had  left  in  charge.  I  had 
only  been  gone  two  weeks,  and  my  indignation  began 
to  rise  at  the  advantage  taken  of  my  absence  to  shirk. 
Pushing  the  sitting  room  door  open,  I  stepped  in.  I 
had  been  surprised  before,  but  I  was  dumfounded  now. 
In  one  corner  sat  Mrs.  Blanchard,  her  head  drooping 
sadly,  and  opposite  her  sat  two  strange  men  with  hawk- 
like faces. 

As  the  door  opened  Mrs.  Blanchard  looked  up  quickly, 
crying  out  joyfully  when  sho  saw  me,  "My  boyl" 

I  hurried  to  her  and  kissed  her.  "What  is  the  matter? 
What  has  happened?"  I  asked 

"Father—"  she  sobbed,  "father  is  deadl" 

"Why  did  no  one  write  to  me?" 


348  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

"They  told  me  you  would  never  come  back— that  it 
wouldn't  do  any  good  to  write, "and  sli3  indicated  with 
her  feeble  hand  the  two  men.  I  turned  upon  them,  and 
remembered  them  as  two  of  the  "distinguished"  law- 
yers of  the  town 

"What  do  you  mean?"  I  demanded.  "How  dare  you 
come  here  and  frighten  this  poor  old  lady?  What  busi- 
ness have  you  here?  Get  out  this  minute!  Get  out, 
I  tell  you*  or  I'll  pitch  you  both  into  the  street."  They 
did  get  out.  They  got  out  quickly.  And  as  they  van- 
ished through  the  door  they  muttered  threats  and  curses. 

Once  alone  with  her,  I  got  the  whole  story  from  Mrs. 
Blanchard.  No  sooner  was  I  out  of  town  than  these 
lawyers  came  to  whisper  to  the  old  couple  that  [  would 
never  return.  The  old  man  fretted  day  and  night,  and 
being  very  feeble  it  only  required  a  few  days  for  the 
worry  to  kill  him.  Then  the  lawyers  brought  forth  a 
claim  to  the  property  in  behalf  of  a  so-called  relative. 
The  relative,  they  said,  must  not  be  deprived  of  his 
rightful  inheritance  by  Mrs.  Blanchard  bestowing  her 
fortune  on  me.  The  relationship  of  the  relative  in 
question  began  and  ended  in  his  being  the  widower  of 
an  adopted  daughter  of  Mrs.  Blanchard  who  had  died 
long  ago.  The  lawyers  smelled  fat  fees,  and  egged  the 
"relative"  on  to  claim  his  "rights."  Of  course,  it 
could  not  be  denied  that  the  Blanchards  had  a  right  to 
dispose  of  their  own  property.  That  was  a  small  ob- 
stacle to  a  lawyer,  however.  A  person  or  two  to  say 
that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blanchard  were  insane.  And  of  course 
if  they  were  insane  they  could  not  be  expected  to  dis- 
pose of  their  property  properly,  I  was  pictured  as » 


OF   THE  UNION    STOCKYARDS  849 

designing  villain  who  had  inveigled  the  irresponsible 
old  people  into  giving  me  their  fortune.  Under  such 
circumstances  there  was  only  one  thing  to  do.  A 
guardian  must  be  placed  over  them.  Mr.  Blauchard's 
death  afforded  an  excellent  opportunity  to  carry  out 
this  plan.  Mrs.  Blauchard  was  ill.  I  was  away.  Every- 
thing would  be  working  smoothly  by  the  time  I  returned. 
It  worked  very  smoothly.  My  return  was  merely  an 
interruption.  Interruptions,  however,  are  sometimes 
troublesome.  This  one  was  so  to  the  full  extent  of  my 
power. 

But  what  is  the  use  of  going  into  the  details  of  all 
that  followed?  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  I  had  little 
money  at  the  time  to  fight  the  case,  and  that  there  were 
pitted  against  me  a  gang  of  unscrupulous  lawyers,  who 
used  the  "relative"  as  a  figurehead.  The  best  people 
of  the  town  took  up  my  case,  but  once  in,  such  lawyers 
never  let  go  as  long  as  there  is  "booty"  insight.  I  was 
advised  to  leave  the  city.  I  did  so.  A  week  later  I 
received  a  telegram  that  Mrs.  Blanchard  was  dead.  The 
property  is  still  recorded  in  my  name,  but  probably  the 
greater  part  has  been  frittered  away  by  the  lawyers  for 
costs,  and  what  remains  is  guarded  by  them  with  hawks' 
eyes. 

It  is  not  every  day  in  a  man's  life,  nor  every  man 
who  has  a  fortune  bestowed  upon  him  from  mere  good 
will.  That,  nevertheless,  is  what  nearly  happened  to 
me  twice  in  my  life.  The  first  time  I  have  just  de- 
scribed. The  second  happened  shortly  after  that.  After 
leaving  Mrs.  Blanchard  I  finally  landed  in  New  York. 
I  was  working  out  some  inventions  at  the  time,  and 


850  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

rented  an  office  in  a  large  office  building  on  Broadway. 
The  head  janitor,  old  Pierre,  was  a  Frenchman  who 
had  fled  from  his  country  during  the  stormy  days  of 
the  Commune.  He  was  an  intelligent,  not  to  say  in- 
tellectual man, and  he  and  I  became  great  friends.  He 
had  no  other  friends  and  no  relatives  in  this  country. 
Age  and  ill  health  were  creeping  upon  him,  and  as  he 
weighed  nearly  800  pounds  I  found  many  opportuni- 
ties of  helping  him  in  little  things. 

Our  friendship  lasted  for  two  years.  By  that  time  I 
had  my  inventions  completed,  and  one  morning  packed 
my  valise  to  go  to  Washington  to  secure  patents.  With 
my  railroad  ticket  in  my  hand  I  ran  down  to  bid  Pierre 
good-bye.  I  found  him  sick  in  bed,  to  my  surprise  and 
grief. 

"Don't  go,  my  boy,  don't  go,"  he  said.  "I  don't 
believe  I  shall  ever  get  up  again." 

I  laughed  at  his  fears,  telling  him  he  had  many  years 
of  life  before  him  yet,  and  that  he  must  not  give  way 
to  a  little  rheumatism  like  that.  After  a  few  words 
more  I  bade  him  good-bye,  saying  as  I  passed  through 
the  door,  "Cheer  up,  Pierre,  I'll  be  back  soon." 

At  Washington  a  telegram  awaited  me.  It  was  from 
Pierre's  lawyer:  "Pierre  Lambert  died  this  morning 
You  were  in  his  will  for  $30,000.  He  died  with  pen  in 
hand  trying  to  sign  the  will.  Not  being  signed,  the  for- 
tune goes  to  his  relatives  in  France." 

I  had  never  known  before  that  Pierre  had  a  fortune. 
But  I  now  understood  the  meaning  of  his  habit  of  al- 
most miserly  economy,  which  was  the  one  fault  I  had 
ever  found  with  him. 


OF   THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  351 

By  the  skin  of  my  teeth,  so  to  speak,  I  had  lost  two 
fortunes.  After  reading  that  telegram  I  had  a  fit  of 
the  blues.  Men  do  have  the  blues  when  things  go  radi- 
cally wrong  with  them,  and  I  felt  now  that  fate  was 
against  me.  I  was  more  than  ever  convinced  of  that 
when  I  fell  sick  the  day  I  reached  Washington.  I  was 
sick  for  three  months.  I  recovered,  however.  People 
always  do  recover  if  they  don't  care  whether  they  do  or 
not.  After  recovering  I  was  involved  in  a  tangle  of 
red  tape  concerning  the  patents.  I  suppose  red  tape  is 
an  invention  of  the  gentleman  with  the  cloven  hoof  to 
test  the  endurance  of  unfortunate  mankind.  At  any 
rate  it  took  so  long  to  unsvind  this  red  tape  that  before 
it  was  done  with  my  means  were  exhausted,  and  I  was 
ordered  out  of  Washington  by  my  physician  if  I  valued 
my  health.  And  so  ended  my  hopes  of  making  a  for- 
tune out  of  my  inventions,  at  least  for  the  time  being. 
I  have  noticed  since  then  that  it  is  only  the  man  with 
money  who  does  not  get  involved  in  red  tape.  Money 
is  the  best  axle  grease  I  know  of. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  all  my  downs  have  been  caused 
by  a  lack  of  capital.  I  suppose  I  might  have  had 
plenty  of  other  people's  money  had  I  wanted  it,  but 
while  I  have  many  disagreeable  memories  of  "downs" 
I  have  the  satisfaction  of  a  conscience  which  is,  upon 
the  whole,  very  much  up.  And,  if  I  have  anything  to  say 
about  it,  it's  up  to  stay.  I  have  only  wronged  two  beings 
in  my  life,  and  both  of  these  were  true  friends.  One 
was  Flirt,  whose  devotion  I  repaid  by  selling  her;  the 
other  was  a  man  for  whom  I  was  handling  about  $500. 
I  was  down  at  the  time.  The  board  of  trade  seemed 


852  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

to  offer  a  fortune  in  D.  and  L.  The  temptation  to 
riss  at  a  bound  was  great,  and  I  plunged,  and — lost.  I 
have  never  repaid  that  money  nor  has  my  friend  ever 
asked  for  it.  Those  are  the  only  instances  of  moral 
turpitude  of  which  I  am  guilty. 

A  month  later  I  found  myself  in  St.  Louis,  My  next 
venture  to  make  that  inspirer  of  friendship — money — 
was  to  deal  in  horses.  My  pet  scheme  for  a  month  or  so 
was  to  hold  a  big  combination  sale  of  fine  horses,  my 
commission  on  which  would  be  enough  to  set  me  up  in 
business.  The  first  thing  necessary  was  to  get  a  place 
large  enough,  convenient  enough  and  well  enough 
known  to  attract  and  accommodate  a  large  crowd. 
There  was  only  one  such  place  in  St.  Louis,  a  large 
horse  pavilion  at  the  race  tracks,  I  went  to  the  man- 
ager of  it  and  secured  it  for  three  days.  After  the  dates 
were  fixed  he  asked  me  what  I  wanted  it  for.  The  wis- 
dom of.  the  serpent  has  never  been  one  of  my  virtues, 
and  I  told  him,  with  all  the  guilelessness  of  the  dove. 
Perhaps  I  even  expected  him  to  rejoice  in  my  antici- 
pated success.  He  said  he  thought  it  a  good  scheme, 
and  I  left  him  with  a  cordial  handshake  Probably  I 
was  even  pleased  that  he  should  have  corroborated  my 
opinion  and  said  it  was  a  good  scheme 

A  day  or  so  later  I  went  out  to  complete  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  use  of  the  pavilion.  Imagine  my  aston- 
ishment to  see  posters  on  every  fence  within  a  mile  of 
the  place  announcing  a  "Grand  Combination  Sale  of 
Fine  Horses!"  The  place  named  was  the  pavilion  I 
had  secured  and  the  date  given  was  just  one  week  earlier 
than  niy  sale  I  I  concluded  then  and  there  that  the 


OF   THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS  353 

Dearest  relative  of  the  born  fool  is  the  man  born  guile- 
less. 

I  was  not  to  be  cast  down,  however.  I  went  home 
and  schemed  a  scheme.  It  was  a  good  scheme.  My 
particular  forte  is  good  schemes.  I  wanted  to  tell  it 
to  somebody.  That  is  a  way  I  have  when  I  have  a 
good  scheme.  But  I  put  my  tongue  under  lock  and 
key,  and  therefore  came  very  near  succeeding.  Th& 
scheme  was  to  establish  a  grand  horse  bazaar  which 
should  ba  the  center  of  the  horse  interest  of  the  state. 
It  would  be  the  scene  not  only  of  one  combination  sale 
of  fine  horses,  but  of  monthly  combination  sales.  There' 
should  be  annual  horse  shows  to  which  the  elite  ot  bothi 
East  and  West  should  come,  and  there  should  be; 
monthly  shows  to  which  the  "400"  of  the  city  should! 
come  en  masse.  Best  of  all,  money  would  be  coined 
there  for  all  concerned. 

This  may  sound  very  Utopian,  but  I  will  show  you 
that  there  never  was  a  more  practicable  scheme  in  the 
world.  Within  six  weeks  I  had  secured  a  pledge  of 
$100,000  capital ;  I  had  a  plan  made  of  the  bazaar  build- 
ing and  the  site  for  it  selected.  Within  four  months 
the  St.  Louis  Horse  Bazaar  was  a  reality,  and  a  grand 
electric  show  opened  it  to  the  public.  In  the  show  ring 
were  some  of  the  finest  horses  ever  sold  in  the  city,  and 
in  the  galleries  was  the  local  "400"  in  evening  attire. 

The  Bazaar  prospered,  and  my  hopes  mounted  high. 
I  ought  to  have  known  by  this  time  that  rising  hopes 
are  only  the  shadows  that  disappointment  casts  before. 
I  soon  found  that  harmony  was  not  to  accompany  pros- 
perity. Select  twelve  men  from  an  average  citiful,and 


354  ILLUSTRATED    HISTORY 

nine  times  out  of  ten  you  will  have  all  the  elements 
necessary  to  stir  up  broils.  I  found  it  so  in  this  case. 
Jealousy  was  the  Nemesis  of  the  place.  This  vice  was 
the  principal  ingredient  in  the  character  of  one  of  the 
persons  connected  with  the  Bazaar.  This  one,  a  mere 
counter-jumper  and  pill-maker,  who  had  made  a  small 
fortune  in  wielding  the  mortar  and  pestle,  played  the 
part  of  the  flea  in  the  dog's  ear.  I  daresay  he  couldn't 
help  himself.  He  was  probably  born  with  the  instincts 
of  the  flea.  And  a  man  born  that  way  can  no  more 
help  backbiting  than  a  hornet  can  help  stinging  when 
it  is  sat  upon.  A  flea  is  not  nearly  so  noble  a  pest  as  the 
hornet,  however,  for  it  bites  just  for  the  sake  of  kick- 
ing up  a  row,  and  I  humbly  ask  the  hornet's  pardon  for 
using  him  as  a  comparison.  The  person  in  question 
proved  the  evil  genius  of  the  Bazaar  The  backbiting 
he  couldn't  do  wasn't  worth  doing.  In  fact  he  had 
quite  a  reputation  in  that  direction  I  suppose  a  flea, 
if  it  is  particularly  active,  will  get  a  reputation,  and  a 
reputation  must  be  upheld.  I  shall  never  say  of  this 
person  that  he  did  not  uphold  his  reputation.  It  doesn't 
make  much  difference  to  the  flea  what  sort  of  a  dog  he 
bites.  It's  just  the  same  to  him  whether  it's  a  thor- 
oughbred or  a  cur.  So  it  was  with  this  person.  Whether 
it  was  the  largest  stockholder  or  the  smallest  stable 
boy,  he  always  had  time  to  bite  him.  Personally  fleas 
are  obnoxious  to  me.  I  don't  like  their  company.  I 
can't  help  hating  fleas  any  more  than  fleas  can  help  bit- 
ing. So  I  resigned.  I  was  sorry  to  resign.  But  when 
it  comes  to  a  question  of  resigning  or  of  associating 
with  fleas,  I'll  resign  every  time. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  855 

It  is  my  opinion  that  if  ill  luck  follows  a  man  in  any 
line  of  business  or  walk  of  life,  he  should  change  his 
line  of  campaign  entirely.  And  as  I  also  believe  that 


GOING   IN    FOR    SUCCESS. 

a  man  should  practice  what  he  preaches,  that  is  what  I 
have  done.  My  last  departure  was  to  become  a  jour- 
nalist. I  have  become  quite  a  success  as  a  journalist. 
It  is  said  by  my  confreres  that  the  scoops  I  can't  make 
don't  exist.  I  can't  truthfully  say  that  journalism  is  the 


856  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

royal  road  to  riches,  but  there  is  a  certain  amount  of 
glory  in  it.  And  glory  is  the  best  salve  I  know  of  for 
the  absence  of  wealth.  In  fact  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
picturesque  effect  in  the  combination  of  glory  and  an 
empty  pocket. 

But  when  I  have  finished  getting  glory  I  shall  begin 
to  get  riches.  I  have  schemed  another  scheme  for  that 
purpose.  I  have  learned  to  combine  the  wisdom  of  the 
serpent  with  the  harrnlessness  of  the  dove,  and  therefore 
I  shall  not  say  what  the  scheme  is.  In  carrying  out  my 
scheme,  however,  I  shall  specially  avoid  fools,fleas  and 
"distinguished"  lawyers,  and  with  this  precaution  I 
don't  doubt  that  I  shall  go  up  the  ladder  three  rounds  at 
a  time.  It  is  a  truthful  saying  that  experience  is  a  good 
teacher,  and  having  been  whaled  a  good  many  times 
by  that  teacher  I  shall  always  remember,  no  matter 
how  safe  my  footing  on  the  ladder  of  success  may  be, 
to  look  forward  and  backward  for  the  man  who  is  al- 
ways ready  to  trip  up  his  fellow  men  when  success  at- 
tends their  footsteps. 


I  have  always  thought  it  a  man's  duty  to  give  ad- 
vice. Giving  advice  is  like  giving  alms,  the  man  who 
gets  it  is  less  grateful  to  you  than  to  the  fellow  who  tells 
him  to  hustle  for  himself.  At  the  same  time  advice 
is  the  quintessence  of  a  man's  experience,  and  I  have 
always  held  that  if  a  man  has  any  incense  to  burn  he- 
should  do  it  where  the  largest  number  of  people  could 
get  the  aroma  of  it.  If  there  is  any  one  who  doesn't  like 
the  smell  he  can  get  out  of  the  way.  There  is  room 


OF   THE    UNION    STOCKYARDS 


857 


enough  in  this  world  for  everybody,  and  the  man  who 
does  not  like  the  ways  of  other  people  can  get  away 
from  them;  he  doesn't  need  to  wait  for  them  to  change 
their  ways.  They  won't  do  it.  Religion  has  not  made 
men  change  their  ways,  and  it's  not  likely  that  they'll 
do  it  to  suit  some  fellow  like  themselves.  So  if  any 
man  doesn't  want  my  advice  he  needn't  read  it.  A 
book  of  psalms  or  a  dime  novel  is  just  as  cheap.  For 
the  benefit  of  those  sensible  men  who  can  take  some 
one's  else  word  for  it  that  fire  burns,  I  give  this 

GOOD  ADVICE  TO  FELLOW  MEN. 

It  takes  all  kinds  of  folks  to  make  people,  and  of 
course  they  have  various  notions  about  things;  if  they 
are  only  honest  in  them  it's  all  right  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned,  but  I  can't  bear  hypocrisy. 

I  have  seen  the  world  and  its  people  in  all  their 
phases  and  stages;  they  are  nearly  all  alike,  and  my 
conclusion  is  that  a  man's  best  friends  are  his  pocket- 
book  and  his  dog.  I  would  rather  have  a  wag  of  my 
dog's  tail  than  the  shake  of  most  men's  hands. 

There  is  a  pile  of  selfishness  abroad,  so  don't  expect 
your  friends  to  be  free  from  it. 

Don't  find  fault,  it  will  do  no  good;  it  is  every  man 
for  himself  and  the  Lord  for  us  all,  so  get  into  the  trench 
with  your  shovel  arid  start  in  with  a  will.  There  is  no 
salve  for  discontent  so  good  as  keeping  busy. 

Don't  go  round  whining;  people  will  despise  you, and 
you  won't  have  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  you 
don't  deserve  it. 

Respect  yourself;  it  is  the  best  way  to  make  other 
people  respect  you. 


858  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Don't  call  upon  your  friends  during  business  hours; 
it  annoys  them,  and  many  small  annoyances  make 
cold  friends.  Friendship  is  friendship;  business  is 
business. 

Don't  stick  your  nose  into  other  people's  business; 
they  know  all  about  it  and  can  take  care  of  it  without 
your  help. 

Don't  go  to  church  and  pose  as  a  saint  when  you 
know  that  you  are  an  unmitigated  hypocrite.  Instead, 
employ  that  amount  of  effort  to  be  honest;  it's  a  virtue 
you  can  acquire,  and  it  goes  a  good  way. 

Don't  give  way  to  every  temptation  to  be  irritable; 
it  only  makes  matters  worse. 

Be  courteous;  courtesy  is  cheap.  Take  nothing  from 
your  friends  except  civility  and  you  will  never  be  in 
debt. 

Don't  tell  your  troubles  to  your  friends,  they  have 
enough  of  their  own. 

"Laugh  and  the  world  laughs  with  you; 

Weep  and  you  weep  alone; 
For  the  sad  old  earth  must  borrow  its  mirth, 
But  has  troubles  enough  of  its  own." 

Keep  a  still  tongue;  it's  a  wise  head  that  has  one. 
Don't  tell  your  secrets  to  your  friends;  you  can't  ex- 
pect your  friends  to  keep  them  if  you  can't.  At  the 
same  time,  don't  violate  your  friend's  confidence  if  he 
is  foolish  enough  to  confide  in  you. 

Keep  up  appearances;  appearances  go  a  long  way, 
even  if  confined  to  a  clean  collar  and  a  pair  of  polished 
boots. 

Don't  break  appointments;  if  you  make  one  keep  it  if 


OF    THE    UNION  STOCKYARDS  859 

you  have  to  crawl  on  your  hands  and  knees  to  do  it. 
Your  word  should  be  as  good  as  your  bond. 

Clothes  and  money  won't  make  a  gentleman;  honesty 
and  politeness  may.  Both  are  cheap;  get  all  you  can 
of  them. 

Don't  wear  your  heart  on  your  sleeve;  the  world  is 
unsympathetic  and  will  feed  its  vultures  on  it  if  you 
do. 

If  you  have  money  you  will  have  friends,  but  when 
poverty  comes  in  at  the  door,  friends,  like  love,  will  fly 
out  of  the  window. 

You  will  often  be  told  to  "get  money  honestly  if  you 
can,  but  get  it  by  hook  or  by  crook,"  but  I  tell  you 
that  if  you  get  it  by  crook  it  will  do  you  no  good,  and 
will  vanish  like  magic. 

Rely  upon  your  own  individual  exertions;  if  you 
won't  exert  yourself  for  yourself  nobody  else  will  do 
it  for  you. 

Go  to  bed  early,  get  up  early;  think,  think,  think,  all 
the  time;  plan,  plan,  plan,  all  the  time;  but  don't  let 
your  left  hand  know  what  is  in  your  right  hand — it 
will  borrow  it  if  it  can. 

Don't  get  discouraged;  if  you  meet  with  repulse  at 
the  first  breastworks,  gather  your  strength  and  go  at  it 
again.  That  is  the  way  great  battles  are  won. 

Some  men  are  born  afraid.  To  such  I  would  say, 
"Whatever  you  are  afraid  of,  don't  be  afraid  of  a  man; 
take  the  flesh  off  him  and  he  will  only  be  a  grinning 
skeleton  like  yourself." 

Don't  give  up  your  trust  in  God.  At  the  same  time 
"keep  your  guns  ready  and  your  powder  dry."  Take 
plenty  of  sleep,  but  keep  one  eye  open. 


360  ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 

Get  in  out  of  the  wet;  the  rain  falls  on  good  and  bad 
alike,  but  it's  generally  the  bad  fellow  who  has  the 
umbrella. 

Don't  mistake  honesty  for  stupidity,  and  don't  be 
stupid  if  you  are  honest;  you  will  surely  get  fleeced  if 
you  are 

I  was  taught  to  live  up  to  the  golden  rule,  "Do  unto 
others  as  you  would  have  others  do  unto  you,"  but  the 
silver  rule  seems  to  be  preferred  by  the  present  gener- 
ation and  reads,  "Do  up  others  before  they  get  a  chance 
to  do  up  you." 

It  would  be  very  pleasant  to  live  in  an  atmosphere 
where  you  could  take  a  man's  hand  as  his  bond,  and  his 
word  equally  as  well  as  his  note,but  don't  be  persuaded 
into  thinking  you  can  find  it  on  this  earth.  Here  it 
is  a  case  of  dog  eat  dog,  every  man  for  himself,  and  the 
devil  take  the  hindmost. 

But  even  while  you  know  that  men  are  unworthy, 
•don't  be  afraid  to  do  a  kind  act  sometimes;  set  the 
world  an  example  once  in  a  while.  A  helping  hand  to 
the  man  in  the  ditch  may  go  a  good  way  toward  helping 
him  to  help  himself. 

What  I  don't  know  about  the  ways  of  the  world  isn't 
worth  knowing,  but  I  still  meet  some  men  that  I  would 
:go  across  the  street  for. 

If  I  have  any  flowers  to  give  away,  I  want  to  give 
them  to  my  friend  before  he  dies,  and  not  wait  to  strew 
them  on  his  grave. 

Toot  your  own  horn,  and  keep  on  tooting  it.  Nobody 
else  will  toot  it  for  you ;  everybody  is  too  busy  tooting 
his  own. 


OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYARDS  861 

But  remember  that  all  blowing  and  no  work  is  a  good 
deal  less  effective  than  all  work  and  no  blowing.  You 
can't  work  too  much,  but  there  is  a  limit  to  blowing. 

Don't  wear  broadcloth  when  you  can  only  afford 
jean.  You  may  not  cut  as  good  a  figure,  maybe,  but 
it's  better  to  stoop  to  jeans  in  order  to  conquer  broad- 
cloth. 

Don't  do  anything  else  that  you  can't  afford.  Ex- 
travagance leads  to  debt,  and  debt  is  the  highroad  to 
dishonesty. 

Learn  to  love  labor;  you  won't  succeed  without  it, 
and  liking  it  will  prevent  discontent.  Besides,  it  is  a 
good  physic  as  well  as  a  builder  of  muscle  and  stamina 
of  character. 

"If  in   this  world  you  wish  to  win 

And  rise  above  the  common  chump, 
Take  off  your  coat  and  pitch  right  in, 
Don't  wait,  lay  hold,  hang  on  and  hump. 

"Don't  wait  until  the  iron's  hot. 

But  make  it  hot  by  muscle; 
Don't  wait  for  wealth  your  father's  got, 
Take  off  your  coat  and  hustle." 

Don't  get  married  until  you  can  support  your  wife, 
yourself  and  one  or  two  other  people,  beside  laying 
something  by  for  your  family  to  live  on  after  you  are 
dead.  That  is  only  just  to  your  family. 

Justice  properly  comes  before  generosity,  but  don't 
spend  so  much  time  in  doing  justice  that  you  won't 
have  a  little  time  to  spare  for  generosity. 


362 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY 


"Time  will  set  all  things  right  and  justice  will  light 
in  the  right  place,  though  it  may  seem  to  be  a  long 
time  in  lighting." 

Lastly, 

"Don't  you  fret! 
Everywhere  the  country  glows, 
Every  garden  has  its  rose; 
Weather's  fine  and  mostly  sunny — 
Every  hive  is  full  o'  honey. 
Don't  you  fret! 
Some  day  we'll  get 
Every  pocket  full  o'  money!" 


"A  STILL  TONGUE' 


WM.    LOCKE, 

SALE^COMMISSION  STABLE 


SPtCIAL  ATTMTIOH  KHD  GOOD  CAM  QlVtH 

ro  KLL  Houses  COHSieneo  TO  Me. 


BEST  MARKET  PRICE  QUARANTEED 
AND  PROMPT  RETURNS. 


UNION  STOCK  YARD  STABLE   NO.  4, 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS. 


Auction  Sales  Every  Tuesday  and  Saturday. 


Private  Sales  Every  Day. 


REFERENCES:    National  Live  Stock  Bank.  Chicago,  and  Drootrt  National  Bank,  Chicago. 


AUCTION  EVERr  THURSDAY. 


(SEE  OTHER  SIDE) 


TELEPHONE  YARDS    537 


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LIVE:    STOCK 
^COMMISSIONERS 


WALTER  BROTHERS. 

Live  Stock  Commission  Merchants 


Room  12.  E»ch>nie  Buildinij. 

Union  Stock  Yards.    +    +     t    CHICAGO,  ILL. 


WAGNER  BROS.  &  Co.. 
LIVE  STOCK  COMMISSION, 


I  STOCK  TABOS. 


RAPPAL  BROS.  &  Co.. 

LIVE  STOCK  COMMISSION  MERCHANTS 


UNION    STOCK    YARDS, 

CHICAGO.  ILLINOIS. 


JOHN  ADAMS  A.  SONS, 

CATTLE-HOGS-SHEEP. 


LIVE    STOCK 
^COMMISSIONERS 


CO.. 


UNION  STOCK  YARD 


DICKSON  &  LOTT, 


»  -LIVE  STOCK 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS,    CHICAGO,  ILL. 


W«d5worth  Commission  Company 

LIVE  STOCK 


124  Eachanfe  Ituil 


Illinois 


MINTEER,  HUBBIRD  &  Co. 

Commission    Merchants. 


LlVEr    STOCK 
COMMISSIONERS 


(CHICAGO, 


Live  »K6omniisslon  Dealers 

58  AND  6O  EXCHANGE  BUILDING. 

UNION  STOCK  VflRDS.  -c^^  CHIC  AGO. 


SHANNON  BROS.  &  Co. 

LIVE    STOCK 

Commission  Merchants 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS.. 


CHICAGO.   ILL. 


(JOMMISSION_ 


Room  188  Exchange  Bldg.  Uimn  Stock  y.i..)<. 

CIIIC^VOO. 


Shattuck  Pa\son  Company 

ffcoom.  ltO-112   g«ckmj«  8»Mng 

LIVE  STOCK  COWWISSION 


CATTLE.  HOGS  AND  SHEEP 

Union  gtoc*  Yards.  ©/-(CHICAGO,  ILL. 


OWEN.  JACKSON  &  CO. 


LIVE  STOCK, 

Union  Stock  Yards.  CHICAGO.  ILL. 


CHICAGO    OFFICE 


STRAHORN-HUTTON-EVANS  CO/H.  CO. 

LIVE  STOCK  AGENT. 


ROOT,  NORTON  &  Co., 

LIVE  STOCK  COMMISSION  MERCHANTS, 


RYAN  COMMISSION  Co.. 
Live  Stock  Commission  Merchants, 

ROOMS  134-136  EXCHANGE  BUILDING. 

1 1  "•iEi.0"" !"""~        Union  stock  Yards- 

S^SfSilrL*       CHICAGO,  ILL. 


FORTIN  BROS.  &  CO., 

I-TVE    STOCJC 

connissiON  MERCHANTS 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS. 


LIVE    STOCK 

COMMISSION 

MERCHANTS 


28  ElCbaniK  EUllMnfl.  Union  SlOCk  1 


WM   HARPOLE  &  Co. 

LIVE  STOCK 

Commission  Merchants 

OFFICE :  it  OCHANO6  gUICOINO 


HVEKS.  MOORE  &  BTERS, 

^^  LIVE  STOCK 

COMMISSION  MERCHANTS 


ROOM    109  EXCH 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS.    CHICAGO. 


UN i  D M  STD CK  YAH DS 


'PARIS  4  AL-hEXBERG. 
L>IVE-STOCK 

BOOM   E.    EXCHANOE    HI  II  HIV,    UNION   5TOCK  YARDS 

Cr1IGf\OO. 


L1V&    STOCK 
.^COMMISSIONERS 


Live  Stock  Salesmen  and  Brokers. 
.  .  .  CAPITAL  and  SURPLUS.  $250.000.00  . 

KANSAS  crrY 


...DOUD  &  YOUNG  CO... 

Commission  Merchants 


CATTLE,  HOGS  AND  SHEEP, 


-CHICAGO. 


HOLMES  &  PATTISON, 


Office.  51  Exchange  Building, 
m  Mock  Yards,          Chicago,  111. 


A.  E.  HORN  &  GO.. 

...LIVE  STOCK... 

(Commission  *  ^1  ore  bants. 

Union  Stock  Yards.  -  CHICAGO.  IL-b. 


'Sfffft  (•*»••—  »  iISvA»: 

\\V-htx  r  &  Thompson  (J<iiiimi- 

rfUVt  STOCK  >.» 


Commission  jV\erchants, 


Union  Slock  Yirds, 

>CHICACX),  nx. 


LIVE    STOCK 
COMMISSIONERS 


THE  M.  GONQER  CO., 
Livte  StocU  Commission 


Union  Stock  Yards. 


<III4A(.O.  UKIO.STOW.BS 


COMMISSION 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS. 


LIVE    STOCK 


COMMISSION  •••  towNis. 


UNION  STOCK  VflRDS 


.CHICAGO. 


Butterfield  &  Bortell, 

LIVE  STOCK  BROKERS, 

17.  EictaKK  B»IUInf. 

i  SIMS  STOCK  >..i..  Chicago,  III. 


GOXOVKK. 


J  HI  ON  STOCK  YARDS 


Geo.  Adams  &  Burke  Co. 

LIVE  STOCK  ConnissioN, 

CHICAGO  AND  OMAHA. 


LIVE:    STOCK 
•^COMMISSIONERS 


—"torn,*  fiali  •>/  V/MWso/  ^--." 

L I VK    STOCK. 

UKIQH  STOCK. YARDS'         CHI.QA^Q,, 


MEANS,  VAUGHAN&CASLER, 


LIVE  STOCK 


Commission  Merchants 


UNION    STOCK   YARDS,  CHICAGO,   ILL. 


PRLMER 


CHICAGO. 


WMmw&m 


LITE  STOCK  COMMISSION. 


RoOM.57EXCHA»GlBulLDiN6,UKIOM  STOCKYARDS 


WM.  O-I.IL.Y  GEO.  W.  ADAMS.  A.  ..  COOP«« 

...WM.  O'RILEY  &  CO... 

— k-LIVE  STQEK-f— 

COMMISSION  MERCHANTS 

Room  1,11  Euluno  Bu.Urn,. 

Unloit  Stock  Yanls,  CHICAGO. 


,  SON  &  CO., 


Union  Stock  Yards,       CHICAGO. 


RONEXUAU.M  Jlltos.  *  Co, 


COMMISSION  MBKCIIAXTS. 


(2Hl(?AG?..HL. 


JULIUS,  STITT  4  Co., 

COMMISSION  MERCHANTS, 

CATT!E,  HOGS  AND  SHEEP, 
UNION  STOCK  VAROS.  CHICAGO. 


c , 


LIVE    STOCK 
COMMISSIONERS 


(TTlCAGO. 


J,  D.  HUFFMAN. 

COMMISSION  BUYER  OF 

ROOMS  100-102  EXCHANGE  BUILDING. 

UNION  STOCK  YARDS.  CHICAGO. 


D.  GUTHMrtN  &  CO. 


ONION    STOCK    YARDS. 


J  STRADER  &  SONS. 

LIVE    STOCK, 


L.  '^. 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS,         ...CHICAGO. 


LIVE    STOCK 


GQMI&ION  •  MERGttflNTS. 

Office.  139  Exchange  Building. 

UNION  STOCK  Y«RDS,       •       Oticfloo. 


LIVE:    STOCK 
^COMMISSIONERS 


LIVE  STOCK  COnni55ION 

MERCHANTS 
KOOn  IOIEXCH4NQC  SUILBIKO, 

.,...««,   O«,,..,,T,O.......  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


LITE  STOCK  «  OM MISSIO  V 


ROOM  57 EXCHANGE  BUILDING^MIOK  STOCK  YARDS 


A.  S.  GREEN  &  CO. 
Livestock  Commissionnerchants 


Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago. 


J.W.  BURTON  &.  Co. 

LIVE  ffiSk  STOCK 


COMMISSION 
MERCHANTS. 


H.  P.  SIEH  &  CO., 

LIVE  I  \       STOCK 


Union  Stock  Yards.  -  CHICAGO. 


THOS.SCOTT  &  Co. 


Live  Stock  Camniiiion  Merchants 


LIVE-    STOCK 

^COMMISSIONERS 


FRANK  KEYS, 

LIVE  STOCK 

COnni55ION 

»o.«  18]  N,.  Cutap  Mfec. 

»..HT!!i"™I^1^_  'Union  &toc*  P«rt». 

"S^--"'— .^  .  .  .  CHICAGO 


Brown  Bros.  &  Ballinger, 

Live  Stock  Commission  Merchants. 


ClIIGAttO.IliII.^ 


SHANNON  BROS.  &  Co. 

LIVE    STOCK  • 

Commission  JVIercKarvts 


UNION  STOCK  YARDS 


L  STOCK.  SSO.OOO  00 


•:•  NORTH  WESTERN  •:• 
LIVE  •:•  STOCK  :-COMMlSSION-:-CO., 

j  -  wooo*  M  v  «  e»M 

•    Room  155  new  Exchiife  '-""-f     - 
Union  Stock  Yards.  CHICAGO.  ILL. 


INGW&RSEN  5R05.  &  SMITH, 

LIVE  STOCK 


UNION  STOCK   YARDS. 
CHICAGO. 


A.  D.  LAMB  &,  Co., 

R»PP«L     LAM*  4  CO  , 

LIVE  STOCK  COMMISSION 


UNION    STOCK   YARDS.  CHICAGO. 


H.  B.  STECK  &  CO.. 

COMMIUIOM  MIKCHANTt 


LIVE:   STOCK 


u«io»  STOCK  VAMn. 

REPTRtNCt    (I. 


THE  ARMS  PALACE  HORSE  CARGO., 

GENERAL  OFFICES 

1220  MonadnOCk  Bldg..          Cor.  Jackson  and  Dearborn Sts.,          CHICAGO. 


HARRISON  ARMS,  Pres.  and  Gen'l  Manager. 


W.  A.  YAGER,  Sec'y  and  Treasurer. 


RATES  FOR  SERVICE 
OF  OUR  FREIGHT  T.RAIN  EQUIPPED  CARS   ARE   AS  FOLLOWS: 

Any  distance  not  over  300  miles,  -          $12.00       500  to  2000  miles,  -          -          3  cents  per  mile 

300  to  500  miles,  ....          15.00       Over  2000  miles,  1  cent  additional   lor  each  mile 

SPECIAL  RATES  GIVEN  BY  THE  MONTH. 


Can  you  afford  to  ship  your  horses  In  any  other  car  when  this  will  land  them  at  destination 
worth  820.  to  $25.  more  per  head? 

Horses  in  this  car  will  not  shrink  and  are  not  liable  to  bruises. 


Harness,  Saddlery,  etc. 

Mr.  Gelder  has  been  established  tor  many  years  in  the  harness  and  saddlery  business  in  this  city 
and  has  become  one  of  the  most  reliable  and  progressive  dealers  in  that  line.  Mr.  Gelder's  business 
has  Increased  in  such  volume  that  it  has  necessitated  his  moving  to  commodious  quarters  at  2134 
Michigan-ave.,  where  he  has  a  fine  store  and  factory.  He  employs  ten  to  fifteen  skilled  harness 
makers,  and  manufactures  as  a  specialty  fine  coach  and  buggy  harness,  beside  all  kinds  of  single 
and  double  harness,  saddles  and  bridles  of  all  descriptions.  He  also  deals  in  all  kinds  of  horse,  turf 
and  stable  goods,  blankets,  whips,  etc.,  both  imported  and  domestic.  His  motto  is  'Live  and  let  live.' 


Plain 
Talk 


a 

Plain 

Man. 


THE  object  of  this  little  "adv."  is  to 
tell  you  where  1  am  and  what  1  am 
doing.  It  may  not  interest  you  to 
know  today  —  nor  tomorrow  —  nor  the 
Dy  next  day,  but  some  day  you  will  come  to 

Chicago  with  live  stock—  and  then,  per- 
haps, you  will  want  some  clothing  and 
shoes. 

It's  an  easy  matter  to  tind  a  clothing 
store  when  you  want  one  —  very  easy  — 
especially  in  Chicago.    There  are  stores 
_  here  that  sell  good  clothing  and  some 
that  do  not.    When  you  arrive  at  the  yards  and 
are  in  doubt  as  to  which  one  to  patronize,  you 


are  n  ou  as  o  wc  one  to  patronze,  you 
will  find  a  dozen  runners,  with  big  tin  badges  on, 
each  one  ready  to  direct  you  "to  the  best  and 
only"  place  and  to  warn  you  to  look  out  for  the 
other"eleven." 

I  came  to  the  Stock  Yards  last  fall  and  opened  a 
clothing  store.  I  had  a  "runner"  then,  too.  1 
thought  I  needed  him.  He  told  me  1  did.  He  was 
a  "runner"  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Wanted 
to  run  everything—  even  the  l.usiness.  Then  I 
"fired"  him.  It  was  a  costly  expeiiment,  but  the 
lesson  ittaught  me  was  worth  it.  It  has  caused 
me  to  change  my  mind  about  -'runners"  entirely. 
I  do  not  believe  any  intelligent  man  wishes  a 
"runner"  to  tell  him  where  to  buy  and  where  not 
to  buy.  It  is  a  reflection  on  his  intelligence  —  on 
his  judgment—  and  the  information  is  too  costly. 
Besides,  no  man  can  sell  goods  as  low  as  1  do  and 
kee  a  "limnr." 


Th 
as  es 


eeve     n  gvng     im  just  what  he  pays    or. 
ese  are  the  principles  upon  which  this  business 
s  established  —  upon  which  it  is  conducted  and 
upon  which  it  shall  be  conducted  to  the  end. 

If  people  prefer  to  buy  their  Hats,  Furnishings, 
Shoes,  as  well  as  Clothing,  of  me,  it  is  because  they 
have  found  it  profitable  to  do  so. 

CHARLES  E.  GROSSE, 

4162-4164  S.  Halsted  St., 

Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago. 

Shoes.  Hats,  Furnishings.  Jewelry,  Trunks. 


Wtn ,  K.  Pattison  Alexander  B.  Shaw, 


Pattison  &  Shaw, 


ATTORNEYS  AND 
COUNSELORS  AT  LAW, 


,Q    (  Cor.  42nd  and  Halsted  Streets. 
;  1  79  Clark  Street. 


.CHICAGO. 


ESTABLISHKD    1864. 


MARTIN  D.  STEVERS  &  CO., 

COMMISSION  MERCHANTS, 


218  La  Salle  Street,  CHICAGO. 


We  make  a  specialty  of  selling  by  sample  BARLEY,  WHEAT,  RYE,  OATS, 
CORN,  FLAX  and  TIMOTHY  SEED.  Grain,  Seeds  and  Provisions  for  future 
delivery  bought  and  sold  011  margins. 


Always  keep 


You   will    always 
be  prepared  for 
company. 


E.  V.  McConkey  &  Co. 

WOOL,    HIDES,   PELTS,   FURS,   TALLOW,    ETC. 

196  SOUTH  WATER  STREET, 

Telephone  Ma  in  2228. 


RUPTURE 

Of  men,  women  and  children  permanently  cured  without  pain  or  the  slightest  in- 
convenience by  the  FIDELITY  METHOD.  Every  case  guaranteed.  Patients 
need  not  pay  a  dollar  until  completely  cured  The  truss  discarded  forever.  Over 
8,000  cases  cured  in  the  last  five  year<=.  Consultation  free.  Send  for  circulars. 

FRANK  H.  WRAY.  M.  D..   Suite  305,   167  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago,  111.,  U.  S.  A. 


To   Horse  Shippers! 

MICHIGAN 
CENTRAL 

"The  Niagara  Falls  Route." 

FAST  HORSE  TRAIN 

.  .  BETWEEN  .  . 

CHICAGO  .  AND  .  BUFFALO. 


To  give  the  greatest  possible  accomodation  and  advantages  to  shippers  of 
Live  Stock  from  the  West  to  Eastern  points,  the  Michigan  Central  Railway 
Company  has  inaugurated  a  fast 

Live  Stock  Train 

from  Chicago  to  Buffalo. 

This  train  leaves  the  Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago,  every  evening  (Sundays 
excepted)  at  6:00 p.  m.,  reaching  Buffalo  the  following  day  at  2:00  p.  m.,  thus 
arriving  in  Buffalo  in  the  afternoon  for  those  desiring  to  ship  further  to  m  ke  con- 
nection with  fast  trains  on  all  diverging  lines. 

A  Comfortable  Coach 

is  rwi  on  each  train  for  the  arcomodation  of,   and   special  attention   given  to,    the 
want?  and  comfort  of  shippers  of  live  stock. 


THIS  TRAIN  IS  PUT  ON  TO  STAY. 

B.  B.  MITCHELL,  D.  T.  COTTER, 

G.  T.  Mgr.,  Detroit,  Mich.  Stock  Yards  Agent. 

TELEPHONE,  HARRISON  670. 


PERFECT  HORSE  CLEANER. 

A  flexible  curry  comb  on  a  rubber  back, 
which  makes  theCLEANER  adjustable  to  every 
part  of  a  horse's  anatomy.  Nothing  about  it  to 
wear  out.  Horse  owners  should  order  it  through 
their  denier.  If  he  has  none  in  stock  and  will  not 
order  it  for  you,  send  us  35  cents  in  postage 
stamps  and  we  will  send  you  a  Perfect  Horse 
Cleaner  by  mail. 

CALHOUN  ATFG.  CO.,   3657  Wabash  Ave.,  Chicago,  111. 


CAM    SPAVIN  REMEDY 

Removes  Bone  Spavin,  Ring-bone,  Curbs  and  Splints,  in  from  5  to  8  days,  without 
pain  or  injury  to  the  animal.  Price,  posipaid,  $2.25 

THE  CAM  SOLUTION. 

Removes  calloused  bunches  of  all  kinds,  Bog  Spavin,  Thoroughpin,  Capped  Hocks, 
Shoe  Boils,  Sprains,  Bowed  Tendons,  Filled  and  Strained  Tendons  restored  to 
normal  condition  in  from  5  to  15  days.  Indorsed  by  leading  Horse  men  of  the 
country.  Prepaid,  $2.25. 

T  HE  C  &  M  LUMP  JAW  CURE. 

The  only  remedy  known  that  curts  all  cases.  It  never  fails.  Every  bottle  sold 
under  positive  guarantee.  Used  and  endorsed  by  hundreds  of  cattle  men  and  far- 
mers. Price,  fi.oo  Send  to  THE  C.  &  M.  HORSE  REMEDY  CO.,  3150 
Cottage  Grove  Avenue,  Chicago,  111.,  for  testimonials  from  prominent  Hotse  and 
Cattlemen.  The  C.  &  M.  Remedies  can  be  ordered  from  any  Wholesale  House  in 
Chicago. 


H.  H.  CARR. 


3HIP  Vour  Grain  Yourselves 

to  the  primary  market  and  SAVE  the 
Middleman's  Profit. 

There  la  no  reason  why  farmers  should  con* 
tlnue  hauling;  their  grain  (o  their  nearest  sla* 
(Ion,  sell  Ing  It  to  the  grain  buy  erfor  whatever 
In-  chooses  to  oflcr  lor  II ,  when  they  can  ship  II 
HUT  Ives  and  obtain  as  much  for  It  as  the 

When  shlpplrigtb  Chicago,  farmers  give  only 
the  legiil  number  of  pounds  to  a  bushel,  re- 
celve  fair  weight*,  state  Inspection  and  ret 
paid  for  all  the  grain  they  raise.  The  disposal 
of  his  grain  In  a  business  like  way—  thus  secur- 
ing the  best  price  possible — Is  fully  as  Import* 
ant  to  the  farmer  as  to  raise  big  crops.  Write 
for  full  Information  how  to  ship.  Address, 

H.  H.  CARR  &  CO., 

Commission  Merchant*, 
94  Board  of  Trade,    -     •     Chicago,  111 

Best  of  references. 


The  (Chicago 


REACHING  with  its   7.966 
miles  of  road  the  famous 
Water    Powers.    Coal     Fields. 
Iron    Ore    Ranges.    Hard    and 


North-Western 


Soft  Lumber  Districts  located  ^ 
in  Illinois.  Wisconsin.  Michigan.  Iowa.  Minnesota.  South 
Dakota.  North  Dakota.  Nebraska  and  Wyoming,  and  by 
traffic  arrangements  with  other  railways,  7.35O  stations 
located  on  4I.OOO  miles  of  railroad  (one-ninth  of  the 
entire  railroad  mileage  of  the  world,  and  one-fourth  of 
the  railroad  mileage  of  the  United  States),  has  on  Its 
line  more  industries  than  any  other  western  railroad. 


[Railway 

Manufacturers  contemplating  moving  o 
establishing  branch  factories  In  the  Wes 
are  requested  to  Inquire  what  we  can  offe 
them  before  locating  elsewhere. 


H.  R.  McCULLOUGH,  Gen.  Traffic  Mgr.     M.  HUGHITT,  Jr.,  Gen.  Freight  Agem 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 


BEATS  THE  WORLD  FOR 

CORN,  HOGS  and  COTTON. 

Apply  to  E.  P.  SKENE,  Land  Commissioner, 

ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  RAILROAD, 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 


U.S.  Standard  Scales 

Of  All  Varieties  Manufactured  by 

CHICAGO  SCALE  CO. 

The  Premium  Wagon  Scales  of  the  World. 

Require  No  Pit. 
Quality  the  Best.          Prices  the  Lowest. 


Also  Railroad   Track,    Depot,    Elevator,    Warehouse 
Mill,  Platform,  Counter  and  Family  Scales. 

..SEND  FOR  OUR  REDUCED  PRICES.. 


We  also  sell  a  thousand  specialties  at  less  than  usual  wholesale 
prices,  including  Engines,  Boilers,  Blacksmith's  Tools,  Safes,  Sewing 
Machines,  Bicycles,  Buggies,  Carriages,  Harness,  Saddles,  Mills,  Corn 
Shellers,  Feed  Cutters,  Organs,  Pianos,  Watches,  Clothing,  &c.  &c. 
Circulars  and  information  free.        CHICAGO  SCALE  CO.,  Chicago.  111. 


TO... 

..Be 


u 


.Look  Successful! 


The  Diamond  is  the  Most  Beautiful 
Stone  in  the  World.... 

The  Diamond  wearer  looks  successful — is  successful! 
The  world  moves  too  rapidly  to  make  slow  conclusions. 
"Laugh  and -the  world  laughs  with  you."  Wear  Dia- 
monds, look  wealthy,  and  then  the  world  is  with  you  in 
the  chase  for  wealth  on  the  Board  of  Trade,  in  the  bus- 
iness office,  on  the  Boulevard,  at  the  Reception,  or  in  the 
Ball-room,  life  is  sweetest  to  the  ever  successful  wearer 
of  Diamonds. 

YES!  Wear  a  Diamond. 

Be  Successful!  Wear  a  Diamond. 

The  South  African  Off-Color 
Diamond. 

PRICE  LIST  OF  LOOSE  STOMES. 

%  Carat each, $1.50      1  Carat each,»3.00 

y.  Carat each,  2.00  1H  Carat each,   *.f>0 

DC  Carat.   ...each,   2.50      2 Carat each,   6.00 

Mounted  in  Rings,  Pins  and  Studs 
at  $3  00  to  $25.00 

Send  10  cents  for  our  large  ill- 
ustrated catalogue  and  whole- 
sale price-list. 

We  can  save  you  money  on 
Jewelry. 

We  will  till  orders  from  any 
Chicago  catalogue. 

The  Sears  Jewelry  Co., 

225  Dearborn  Street, 
CHICAGO,  ILL. 

No.  1025.    Gent-   s  ,li,l  Ni.'kel,  Open  Face  Horse  Timer,  1-5  Second  and  Minute   Register.    Reliable 
in  every  way.    Each, ta.OO 


THOMAS    HARRISON, 


ON  COMMISSION  OF 

CARRIAGE.^™ 
SADDLE 
HORSES 


For  Home  and  Export  Trade. 

HIGHEST  REFERENCES 

*  *  Union  Stock  Yards,  *  * 


WILLIAfl  POTTER, 

....BUYER  ON  COMMISSION  OF..   . 

Carriage'  Gob  and 
'-         p  Saddle  Horses 

For  Home  and  Export  Trade. 

......  BEST  REFERENCES  .....  . 

ADDRESS  ........  Union  Stock  Yards, 

.CHICAGO,  ILL. 


Veterinary  Surgeon, 


TELEPHONE,  YARD*  701  ... 


No.  6,  HORSE  EXCHANGE. 

UNION  STOCK  YARDS, 

CHICAGO,    ILL. 


Studebaker  Bro's,  Chicago, 

378-388  WABASH  AYE. 

Fine  Carriages 
and  Driving  Traps. 
The  latest  correct 
styles  for  town  and 
country,  and  the 
show  ring. 

Special  high- 
grade  domestic 
and  imported  Lon- 
don Harness,  Sad- 
dlery and  Sporting 
Novelties,  correct 
Military  Accoutre- 
ments. 

Very  lowest  prices  quality  and  style  considered.  A  fine  dis- 
play. Call  and  see  us  in  our  new  quarters.  Hail  orders 
promptly  attended  to. 


CLOVERDELL     STOCK     FARM. 

— -INOTICE- — 

Director's  and  Other  Sires'  Foals  of  1894 

At  Private  Sale  after  January  1,  1896,  out  of 
Race  Marcs  and  Great  Producing  Dams. 

For  particulars,  price  etc.,  address 

A.  H.  MOORE,  Proprietor  and  Manager, 

1711  Spring  Garden  Street,  Philadelphia 

or  COLMAR,  Montgomery  County  Pa. 


Thick,  Swollen  Glands 

can     be    removed 
.  .  with   .  . 

ABSORBINE 

or  any  Bunch  or 
Swelling:  caused  by 
strain  or  inflam- 
mation. $2.00  per 
bottle,  delivered. 

W.  F.  YOUNG,  I'.  1>.  F., 

No.  34  A  mli.  r-t  St..  SpringHeUI,  Mass. 


$50,000 
Bankrunt^Stqck 


L.  A.  MELZE,  M.D.,  D.D.S.,  &  SONS, 

Superior  Dental 
Parlors          \^r 

PAINLESS  AND  HIGH-CLASS 

DENTISTRY 

CROWN  AND  BRIDGE  WORK 
A  SPECIALTY 

DR.  MELZE,  SR.,  or  one  of  his  sons 
personally  attends  each  patient.  All 
work  guaranteed  and  kept  in  repairs  10 
years  Free  of  Charge. 

Open  till  9  p.m.  Sundays  4  p.m .  Lady 
Assistant.  Phone  1596  Main.  No  Pain. 
Gas  if  desired. 

Painless  Extraction 50  cts. 

Best  Set $8.00 

Gold  Fillings $1 .00  Up 

22  Carat  Gold  Crowns $5.00 

No  charges  for  Painless  Extraction  where  teeth  are  ordered ;  by  a  new  process  of  our 
own  we  extract  teeth  absolutely  without  pain. 

"I  had  12  teeth  extracted  by  Drs.  Melze  absolutely  without  pain.     My  daughter  had 
teeth  crowned  and  bridged  also  painless."    ME.  GOULD,  736,  60th  St. 

Inter  Ocean  Building,  2d  floor,  209,  210,  211  Cor.  Madison  and  Dearborn  Sts. 


ESTABLISHED   1876 


Xouis  Weber's 

Pawnbroking  Establishment 


.THE    LARGEST   ARD    MOST    RELIABLE    IN    AMERICA. 


Liberal  Advances  on  All  Kinds  of  Personal  Property  at  Lowest  Rates.    For  Sale  at 
Less  than  Half  of  New  Cost 

UNREDEEMED 

Diamonds,  Watches,  Clothing,  Musical  Instruments 

AND    ALMOST    EVERYTHING    ELSE. 

Open  Evening's  until  0  o'clock. 
341-343  S.  CLARK  STREET.  113  E.  HARRISON  STREET. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


ILLUSTRATED  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNION  STOCKYA 


